Avoid Greenwashing by Starting a Small Business With Sustainability Practices

In 2023, the UK is looking to make their companies more sustainable, and they need the help of new businesses to get them there. If you’re in the beginning stages of building your company, you have a chance to incorporate sustainability into almost every process in your business. If being eco-friendly is important to you, it’s wise to start now rather than try to pretend that you’re sustainable later on and find yourself in an ethics trap. Plus, you could even be eligible for sustainability grants for doing the right thing to help the UK and the world.

There are many ways that you can inject minor and major sustainable practices into your business. You may be surprised to find that you’ll find that doing so can lead to greater success down the road.

Be Ethical From The Start

If sustainability is your main passion and you want to show that through your business, start from day one. You’ll do a great service for Mother Earth, and you’ll also draw in more customers, and that’s because many people these days are excited about sustainability. If you show that you prove that your company has eco-friendly practices and you promote that through your marketing, then people may be more likely to shop with you than the competitor.

Many existing companies also know that sustainability sells, but the problem is that they try to jump on the bandwagon through unethical means. Typically, experts call this greenwashing, and it’s when companies make misleading or openly false statements about how their company is eco-friendly. For example, they may put a banner on their website that says that their products are made from recycled materials. However, the fine print says that only certain products are recycled. Greenwashing has become an epidemic. It’s gotten so out of hand that energy companies are calling for an end to the process.

The first tip you should follow when starting a business is to conduct ethical operations from day one. Be honest and transparent about the sustainable practices you’re putting into your company. This is how you can build trust with your customers. Then, you can build a network with other sustainable business owners, combine your efforts, and continue to build your empire.

Your ethics could also earn you some perks that other businesses may not be able to acquire, including green grant loans. These are programs, the government created that provide funds to companies investing in green technologies and trying to make a difference. If you meet the requirements, look into this monetary support, and you could get essential monetary support. Currently, the UK has close to £5 billion ready for businesses to become greener as we approach 2050.

Create Eco-Friendly Supply Chain

A big first step is to create an eco-friendly supply chain to churn out sustainable products over time. While you’re setting up your supply chain, you’ll want to look at how you can future-proof your business in the meantime. One way to future-proof is to streamline your operations, so fewer people are doing unnecessary tasks. The more processes you have going, the more likely that there could be an issue down the line. You can also recycle and repurpose excess inventory, so you always have enough materials to keep up production.

Customers are looking to buy from sustainable companies, and that movement will only grow over time. If you’re the only game in town that has an eco-friendly supply chain and you make it known, customers could continue to go to you and ignore your competitors.

Another issue is that, as our world becomes more eco-friendly and the government restricts fossil fuel processes, many companies will need to adapt. If you incorporate solar energy and other green methods from the start, you could be ahead of the curve.

Another idea is to work with suppliers and vendors that also prioritize sustainability from the get-go, so you don’t have to make an awkward switch to someone else later down the line.

Other Sustainable Options

These days, there are countless ways to make your company more sustainable, and you can implement many of them, so you don’t have to try to make changes later to appease your customer base. An easy one is to go completely paperless, which you can start to do by simply eliminating printers from the office and instead using email to send documentation back and forth.

Next, consider a look at eco-friendly packaging and eliminate the standard cardboard that contains chemicals that break down as it sits in the landfill. There are many suitable alternatives, including corrugated cardboard. It's made of multiple layers of kraft paperboard, which is biodegradable. Plant-based packing materials can replace Styrofoam peanuts with other options, including filler made from cornstarch and bagasse. Again, going green could save your company money and benefit you in the long run, especially considering that the UK government has imposed a new tax on plastic packaging that has less than 30% recycled content.

Complete the cycle of sustainability by investing in green shipping and delivery methods, which start by using packaging that fits the size of the product instead of wasting a big box for everything and by consolidating orders into larger containers. Once you, secure trucks to deliver your goods, instead of having them return from the shipment with an empty truck, try to find stock that they can bring back so the trucks use fuel more efficiently.

There are many reasons and ways to start a sustainable business, and you must start from day one. The earth and your future customers will thank you for your efforts.