Green Business: Use Less, Buy Less
Use Less, Buy Less
The less you use, the less you spend, the less you waste.
Look for ways you and your workplace can cut down on waste:
- Buy or stock products that come with as little packaging as possible. If you must use or sell a product that comes with excess packaging, talk to the creator and request a better solution. (A box inside of a box, or a bag inside of a box inside of a bag would be conisdered excess.)
- If you print anything, do it double sided. Most modern printers have the capability to do this.
- Use the printer settings that use the least amount of ink.
- Ask your customers if they want a bag, don’t just give it to them. Even better, ask if they brought their own first, then ask if they want one. If it is percieved as normal to have your own bag, this can help change others’ behavior.
- In retail or coffee shops, offer to recycle packaging or place very conspicuous recycling bins in your establishment. This can be very appealing to tourists who may not wish to carry around extra boxes or bags, and who are also not likely to have access to recycling facilities.
- Do as much electronically as you can: banking, emailing, electronic filing, telecommuniting, etc. We live in a digital world.
- For hotels and condos, assess your consumption of mini bath products. What gets used and what gets left? Are all of those products necessary? Perhaps encourage patrons to use only what they need by handing them out on request. At the very least, you can recycle excess soap and shampoo bottles with the following organizations: Clean the World and Global Soap Project.