The Importance Of Sustainability In Business
Sustainability is the buzzword for our eco-friendly scene today, but what does sustainability pertain to? We may think of sustainability as the three (3) R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle; but those are simply band-aid efforts in our quest to create a healthier environment for all.
Climate change affects all of us. If we don’t make conscious efforts to reverse the damage we’ve done, we may not have a future to look forward to. Over years of effort, we have made changes in our social and environmental spaces, but we are still just at the tip of the iceberg in reversing the damage to our ecosystem, as well as our socio-economic processes.
For this reason, businesses all over the world are adapting to implement sustainability practices to positively impact our ecosystems by offering eco-friendly solutions and products that minimize the waste created from daily operations.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS?
Businesses that aim to minimize their negative impact on the environment should look into sustainable business practices in efforts to gain a competitive advantage through sustainability strategies. Maintaining a business to be sustainable is not only beneficial to the environment, it is beneficial to the business as well.
Maintaining a sustainably-sound business means to integrate as many sustainability initiatives into the day to day operations of the business as possible. This is done in the hopes of reducing the carbon footprint and waste products that a business may produce as a result of their manufacturing, service, or operations processes.
WHAT PROBLEMS DOES SUSTAINABILITY ADDRESS?
Sustainable and eco-friendly practices include simple acts such as diversity in the workplace and inclusivity, to more impactful efforts like green building and integrating repurposed materials into the product line. Sustainability in business aims to combat problems like climate change and social inequality.
For example, plastic water bottles get a bad rap for being environmentally destructive; but little known fact is that PET bottles are more recyclable than paper or styrofoam cups, and are more likely to be collected by recycling companies. At My Own Water, we also offer an alternative to plastic bottles that is both environmentally friendly, and pleasing to the eye.
My Own Water aluminum water bottles are made with sterilized, recycled aluminum, which is a sustainable material as aluminum can be recycled limitlessly. Recycled aluminum bottles are just as portable and lightweight as plastic bottles, but aluminum can be reused over and over again without compromising its integrity.
WHY SHOULD BUSINESSES ADAPT SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS?
By now, sustainability should be a requirement for any business as we struggle to reverse the effects of climate change and environmental disasters. Sustainable business strategies are on a high, as more and more companies realize the importance of maintaining waste-free and minimal operations for the betterment of the environment.
WHAT IS A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY?
A sustainability strategy may include making social and environmental change in the workplace to advocate for environmental sustainability. Collaborating with environmental organizations, using renewable energy around the production facility and office, maintaining proper waste management, and other innovative strategies help build sustainable businesses.
Sustainability is also being socially responsible, and businesses practicing these may look into respecting human rights, inclusivity, and employee retention as part of their socially responsible business strategy.
WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY IMPORTANT IN A BUSINESS?
Sustainability is not just important in business; rather, sustainability should be ingrained in everyone as we urgently need to take better care of the planet. For business leaders, by integrating sustainable practices into their business, they can also save up on product costs and minimize the waste products produced that just get into the landfill.
Consumers are more likely to purchase products from a sustainably-sound business, so there is a competitive advantage to embracing sustainability in the workplace. Some benefits to integrating sustainability in the business include cut costs on waste overhaul, more efficient supply chain, and positive impressions on consumers and other stakeholders.
BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABILITY IN A BUSINESS
Regardless of business model, unless the business is rooted in polluting oceans and destroying lands, sustainability is beneficial to all businesses across different industries. Keeping the environment healthy means that we can continue to utilize the resources we have that are currently available to us, and that is a huge benefit for any business.
For the most part, sustainability benefits businesses in terms of cost-cutting. Where recycled materials, sustainable implements like cooling systems and natural lighting and more innovations will save businesses on cost in the long run.
HOW IS SUSTAINABILITY COST-EFFECTIVE IN BUSINESS?
Businesses are always looking for opportunities to make money and by finding ways to improve on their operations. Business owners can see an increase in cash inflow while a decrease in cash outflow as sustainability typically lowers costs of goods and services sold as byproducts are repurposed into other products and recycled materials use less energy to produce.
For example, our aluminum water bottles are made with recycled aluminum. They are sterilized and remodeled into perfectly new bottles. These bottles take up only a fraction of the materials, energy, and manpower it takes to produce the same bottle with newly mined aluminum.
In fact, recycled aluminum uses only 5% of power to produce and repurpose, and the process uses much less water than producing plastic water bottles, glass bottles, or water bottles made with newly mined aluminum. Recycling aluminum removes the need to mine for the aluminum, ensuring that workers are in a safe environment while minimizing the mining activities done.
EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE AND PRODUCTION LINE
At My Own Water, we take sustainability very seriously. We ensure that our business practices follow environmentally-sound principles as we embrace sustainability in our corporate social responsibility. We provide our customers with a choice to switch to aluminum bottles instead of plastic, and we source water only from authorized bodies that are regulated in supply.
Our natural spring water brings you the taste of refreshment from protected California springs, regulated and managed by the FDA to ensure quality without compromise. We work with authorized suppliers to source our materials, and collaborate only with businesses that value sustainability as much as we do.
Find out how we keep our company environmentally-sound, as well as how we keep our social responsibility ongoing in the workplace through our website and blog.
