Simple habits can increase the sustainability of a business quickly and effectively
In today’s world, sustainability is far more than just another buzzword – it’s becoming a way of life. For businesses, it’s no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but an absolute imperative. As climate change, environmental consciousness and corporate social responsibility continue to shape public discourse, companies are being called upon to take real, meaningful action.
The great thing about going green is that it’s not just a way to do your part in saving the planet, but can also play a key role in building a better business. Eco-friendly practices can strengthen team culture, enhance your brand reputation and attract purpose-driven talent. In fact, many employees, especially those from younger generations, actively seek out companies that align with their values and environmental responsibility is high on that list.
Introducing sustainable initiatives into the workplace doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Small changes can really have a big impact.
If your business doesn’t already have a recycling programme in place, now is the time to start one – whether you work in an office or from home. In the office, a simple but effective first step is to provide clearly labelled recycling bins in shared spaces like kitchens, lounges and restrooms. Make it easy for your team to know what goes where by posting signage that outlines the types of materials accepted, such as paper, plastic and glass.
When it comes to staff who work remotely, it’s important to encourage employees to set up simple recycling stations at home and to share tips on how to dispose of common household and work-related materials responsibly. Regularly communicating your company’s environmental values through internal newsletters or team meetings and highlighting how small individual actions contribute to a larger collective impact can go a long way.
Beyond day-to-day waste, consider reducing your contribution to landfills by rethinking how you manage the office – or home office – equipment and furniture. Instead of discarding outdated fixtures or furnishings, look into ways to repurpose or donate them. Many organisations and recycling programmes will gladly accept used desks and chairs, giving them a second life while keeping waste to a minimum.
Take it online
The move to digital-first workspaces shouldn’t be seen as just a technological shift, but an environmentally conscious one too. Cloud-based tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and project management platforms such as Trello and Monday.com make collaboration seamless while also reducing paper waste.
Encourage your employees to switch from printing to sharing documents digitally. Move to using digital signature tools for contracts and approvals. All of this can make a meaningful difference in paper usage.
Going paperless not only helps reduce your environmental footprint but also improves organisational efficiency, saves on printing costs and makes document management more secure and accessible, especially for hybrid or remote teams.
Hybrid harmony
Commuting to and from the office is a significant contributor to a company’s carbon footprint. One of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce this is by offering hybrid work options. Allowing employees to work from home helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions from daily travel. Fewer cars on the road means lower carbon output and less time spent stuck in traffic, which has been shown to lead to happier, more productive employees.
Text | Nikki Burgoyne
Photography | Ground Picture
Nikki Burgoyne is Operations Manager at Strider Digital. For more information, go to striderdigital.co.za.
