There’s a big push for brands to adopt more eco-friendly practices. You may already know that one of the common defining traits of both the millennial generation and Gen Z’ers is to peel back the layers and get to know more about the inner workings of a brand, including its practices to promote a lesser impact on our environment. In honor of Earth Day, we’re going to share three simple switches to help your company go green this year.
1. Purchase recycled paper products
When it comes to purchasing paper for the office, or printing business cards and other marketing materials, you may notice an option to select a 100% recycled paper. By choosing recycled paper over what’s called virgin paper (non-recycled), you are sourcing from paper that has not lead to additional deforestation and instead is using recycled paper fibers that have been reproduced to create a fresh new sheet. Not only does recycled paper cut down on deforestation, it uses at least 30% less energy than non-recycled paper to produce, and cuts wastewater by more than half.
Source: The Environmental Paper Network
2. Create a recycle friendly workspace
In addition to purchasing recycled paper for your every day company needs, we also suggest implementing a recycling program within your company. Things like purchasing recycling bins to be placed next to every trash can, getting rid of plastic bottles of water, or even creating a recycling team within your company to help enforce a recycling policy. Not only does this do good for our environment but it also provides a great opportunity for your company to showcase its efforts to go green and reduce the impact on our planet. Big brands like Intel are taking full responsibility for their company’s impact on the environment by implementing recycling programs to reduce more than 75% of total waste generated in their operations. They have an entire page on their website dedicated just to their environmental efforts. So why not Tweet it, share it on Facebook or snap a photo of your brand’s recycling efforts for Instagram? Your efforts could very well inspire another brand to follow suit.
3. Shop local when possible
Have you ever stopped to think about the trip, sometimes around the globe, that many products must make before landing in your hands? With many promotional products and everyday items coming from overseas, it’s important to think locally whenever possible. The very item that you’re trying to order from another country could very well be available at a local store. To reduce your brand’s carbon footprint, reach out to some local vendors and stores and see if you can form a partnership for your company’s needs. This saves on the ever increasing carbon emissions from the fuel required to transport goods, it provides greater opportunities for more jobs in your community, and enhances diversity of more interesting products.
Don’t forget to show off your green efforts!
With social media being such a powerful tool (good or bad) today, many big brands have decided to put their environmental practices at the forefront in an effort to appeal to the younger, more eco-conscious generations. Take Patagonia for example, the well known brand that that funds grassroots activists working to find solutions to the environmental crisis. This appeals greatly to their audience! Not only are your “go green” efforts going to support our environment but they just might spark sales as well!
Ready to look into recycled paper business cards or find local vendors to meet your brand’s printing and promotion needs? Need a corporate video produced to showcase your green efforts? As always, be sure to reach out to our team of marketing and printing experts at Sabre!