8 sustainable business ideas for small businesses

According to research by the European Environment Agency, each kilogram of plastic that comes to market has created at least 2.9kg of GHG emissionsLink opens in a new window.

Switching plastic packaging to biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable material, choosing eco-friendly office supplies, and switching to recycled paper products may help reduce carbon emissions.

Other sustainable swaps to investigate include plastic cups for glasses and mugs, disposable utensils for metal cutlery, and ink cartridges for refillable ones.

Consider working with suppliers that are actively lowering their carbon emissions.

Your business may also choose to source products that take less energy to transport, such as those from local suppliers, as these can reduce transport times and distances.

Setting up a carpool scheme could mean fewer cars driven to work, helping reduce transport emissions.

Installing bike racks could also encourage staff to cycle to work and initiatives such as a 'bike to work for a week challenge' could motivate employees to ditch their cars.

If your budget allows, providing staff with company bicycles could also promote green commutes.

The government has a handy guide on how to implement the cycle to work schemeLink opens in a new window.

Lighting uses around 20% of all electricity generated in the UK, according to the Carbon TrustLink opens in a new window.

Making the switch to more effective lighting may help lower your bills and save 5kg of C0₂ emissionsLink opens in a new window for every halogen bulb replaced with an LED.

Other ways to limit your lighting emissions may include utilising natural light during the summer months and installing motion-activated lights that only come on when someone is in the room.

In 2020 power stations accounted for 15.4% of all UK carbon emissionsLink opens in a new window and most workplaces house a range of electrical devices from computers and printers to coffee machines – all of which use energy.

Smart power strips, or smart plugs automatically turn off the energy supply to items that are switched off but still plugged in.

This prevents devices from consuming what is known as 'phantom power'and  may help prevent energy wastage when leaving items in standby mode.

The average office building uses 50 litres of water per person per dayLink opens in a new window, according to research by South Staffs WaterLink opens in a new window.

This may be reduced with simple measures such as fixing leaking faucets and installing self-closing taps.

Fitting a water displacement bag in your toilet cistern may save a litre of water per flush, which is considerable as 43% of company water consumption is flushed away, according to the same research.

An industrial building could be losing up to 75% of its heat through the building fabric according to data from the Carbon Trust,Link opens in a new window so investing in heat retentive measures such as sealing windows and insulating roofs may significantly reduce your energy usage.

In the UK, waste management accounts for 4% of all GHG emissions, according to data from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial StrategyLink opens in a new window, so reducing waste may help in reaching net zero.

Making recycling more accessible could limit the amount of waste your company sends to landfill and incineration.

Further ways to reduce waste include installing food waste bins, replacing paper towels with cloth alternatives and limiting your amount of in-house printing.

Consider removing all under-desk bins, as these may end up filled with items that could otherwise be recycled.