In an episode in the first season of Mad Men we see Don Draper and his family enjoying an idyllic picnic in the park.
They plough through chicken drumsticks, beer and a huge number of other luxuries. And what do they do with the waste they’ve produced? Absolutely nothing, choosing instead to leave it on the ground when they head back to their car.
The attitude shown in the episode is indicative of the widespread ambivalence towards litter and pollution in the middle of the twentieth century.
We’ve progressed far beyond those wasteful times, but the western world in particular continues to consume far more than is necessary.
The US is still one of the largest consumers in the world, with Europe trailing closely behind.
And for many of us, particularly businesses that want to be more eco-conscious, there’s a feeling that our efforts to be greener are tantamount to spitting in the wind in the grand scheme of things.
With Donald Trump backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, and effectively dissolving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the same year, the world is looking particularly vulnerable to ecological disaster.
But this isn’t a time to be defeatist. If you’re an SME with green issues on their mind, you can still make changes to your business practices.
Here are just a few you can apply to your company.
Train your staff
Every member of your staff won’t be as enthused by being environmentally friendly as you are. But with the right kind of training, they could be.
Get in touch with eco-friendly experts and see if they’d be interested in training your employees for an afternoon.
Alternatively, get in touch with one of the greenest businesses in the UK and see how they’ve made sure their employees toe the ecological line.
Look at your drains
Everyone knows to turn their office lights out at the end of the day and to make sure computers are switched off when they’re not in use. But did you know that unclean drains could exacerbate the waste problems in your local area?
If waste becomes contaminated it can cause a health crisis in the surrounding area, which is why commercial drainage contractors are vital in the efforts to keep cities friendly towards plant and wildlife.
Look at the wind
Most companies would struggle to supplement their energy entirely with natural power – but some have placed wind turbines on their roof to reduce their overheads and their carbon footprints.
We’d recommend trying this if your building regulations allow it.
Can you think of any other tips to ensure your business stays green? Then let us know in the comments below.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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