Environmentally-friendly packaging is Kendon’s forte, supplying hundreds of businesses up and down the country with recycled packing boxes, among many other solutions. We take environmental responsibility seriously, and in this blog post, we’d like to promote a more holistic approach to eco-friendly business practice – covering all possible aspects to reduce your business’ carbon footprint as much as possible, especially relevant considering Coca-Cola’s recent announcement to collect and recycle all packaging by 2030.
1. ‘Green audit’ your business
Before starting your drive to be more eco-friendly, you need to have the full facts about how you’re impacting the environment – everything from whether or not you’re using recyclable packaging materials to thermal imaging of your property to find where heating energy is being wasted. Having the full picture is vital, because if you implement some improvements on an ad-hoc basis, you could overlook some vital considerations and end up paying for them down the line.
2. Encourage sustainable commuting
The working day doesn’t just start when your workers reach their desks – it starts when they begin their journey into work. If a large proportion of your employees drive into work, then the amount of carbon they’re releasing into the atmosphere can be directly attributed to you. Sustainable commuting involves encouraging the use of public transport, such as rail or bus, but also encouraging walking and cycling to work. Consider affiliating your business to a cycle to work scheme to reduce the initial cost of a bicycle for your employees and promote uptake. The emptier your car park, the better!
3. Reduce plastic waste
The full, deeply worrying scale of the world’s plastic waste problem has recently been at the forefront of business’ concerns. A slew of leading companies including Coca-Cola have announced changes in their production of plastic bottles and the UN has declared the problem a ‘planetary crisis’ – with cries that every business across the world absolutely must do more, and there are a lot of little things businesses can do to pitch in and help save the oceans.
For example, cafés, restaurants or even just companies with a canteen can switch to eco-friendly packaging materials for food, and phase out the use of plastic straws – which are particularly damaging. They don’t decompose, they photodegrade into smaller and smaller pieces that end up being ingested by marine wildlife and then on into our food chain. Campaign groups such as The Last Plastic Straw are working on eradicating this totally needless product from production – there are plenty of compostable and biodegradable straws available.
4. Double down on recycled packaging – and announce it
Recycling has long been part of the process at Kendon, and we’re making sure our consumers know about our commitment to eco-friendly packaging materials. It’s beneficial for all businesses, especially nowadays, to promote what they do to protect the environment – as the pressure has never been greater for companies to act responsibly.
Just look at the protracted, 9-month campaign Greenpeace is conducting to highlight Coca-Cola’s profligate production of plastic bottles. Announcing that you take your responsibilities seriously can win the trust of consumers and help to grow your business long term.
5. Community focused sustainability
Acting responsibly is not just about eco-friendly packaging and other business decisions, it must also involve the physical surroundings of your business premises, both the landscape and the neighbouring communities. Consider following Kendon’s lead in donating unused and waste materials to local projects, ensuring a good relationship with your wider area while reducing your industrial wastage.
Planting trees around your premises is another eco-friendly option, that can double as an active team-building exercise. Another idea is to purchase greener energy from the increasing amount of suppliers across the UK.
Kendon prides itself on being an environmentally-conscious packaging supplier. Our environmental policies are available to browse here.
