Small sustainable business ideas for now - and the future

For small businesses, implementing a comprehensive sustainability strategy across the organisation can be a daunting thought, but it doesn’t have to be. There are simple ways for SMEs to embrace sustainability, and innovative and exciting developments will also make sustainability more seamless in the future.

Implementing sustainable business ideas can certainly drive innovation and improve your bottom line. However, taking steps towards being more sustainable in the workplace can also have far-reaching social and economic impacts on both the organisation and its staff.

Some sustainable business ideas for small businesses

Recycling policy

Establish a consistent standard across all internal procedures to reinforce a robust recycling policy in the office.

Ensure printers have a default setting to print double-sided, only choose to buy recycled paper, and make sure there’s a recycling tray at every print station, plus recycling waste bins.

Appointing a staff member to oversee all recycling efforts is a great way to ensure that minor details are accounted for, such as stapling office scribble pads together from recycled paper and distributing them to all staff members. 

Office hardware

It’s easy to become complacent with office equipment. Still, new technologies have led to a more sophisticated and eco-friendly range of modern equipment that can reduce the amount of power and consumables needed to operate them (such as toner cartridges). 

Using energy-saving equipment in the office is also a surefire way to decrease running costs, such as electricity, and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.

Office software

Reducing the amount of printing across the organisation can impact electricity costs, and paper and consumables expenses.

Additionally, implementing shared digital files can be a great way to replace hard-copy documentation, creating more flexibility and integration across staff and departments.

If you’re not sure of your organisation’s print output, it could be time to get an office audit to uncover inefficiencies and cut costs.

Flexibility in the workplace

Sustainability can also positively impact staff. The integration of digital file-sharing and video-conferencing technologies can make working from home or remote locations a viable option. This means less travel to and from work, lower carbon output, and a reduced drain on company electricity and resources, all while promoting staff morale. Depending on the nature of the business, this flexibility can also enable better responsiveness in the market and improved productivity.

What does the future hold for sustainable business practices?

Small business sustainability can be reached through a piecemeal approach for those who want to take their time in implementing it.

But for those who are already well on their way, several exciting developments on the horizon will make sustainability quite a game-changer in the future for those who pay attention to it:

The Internet of Things (IOT)

This is certainly starting to change the way machines, equipment and appliances interact with humans. It is also expected to be a real game-changer in the world of sustainability, particularly in the manufacturing and logistics industries.

For example in warehouse and distribution, connected devices are making it easier to track products from the warehouse to the consumer, which ensures more streamlined logistics and routing to save on the amount of kilometres travelled during delivery. With 50 billion connected devices estimated by 2020, IOT is creating a lot of opportunities for organisations across a range of industries and is a very practical sustainable business idea.

Big data

With the world of technology comes big data and the ability to analyse that data for the greater good, such as sustainability. With so much growing information at our fingertips, the ability to better understand customers, buying behaviours, attitudes, trends, and more will pave the way for more customised solutions and innovations that can help reduce waste across energy and resources.

Sustainability will be an important measure of success for workplaces of the future. Download our Sustainable Office Guide to learn how to improve your environmental impact, while also reducing business costs and boosting efficiency.