Sustainable Business Practices: Practical Ways to Reduce Waste & Save Money
Sustainability has become a key focus for businesses in recent years. Not only are there increased regulations and restrictions, but customers are more environmentally-conscious than ever before. Many people are now choosing to support businesses that reflect their values and operate sustainably.
The good news for you, is that we can help. You may think that sustainable operations require large investments or changes but in reality, there are many small changes you can make that have a big impact. The best part is that a lot of these changes can actually save your business money too!
We’ve put together some practical tips that can help you to improve your businesses sustainability credentials.
What Are Sustainable Business Practices?
Sustainable business practices are actions and processes built into your business to help you reduce your environmental impact, without impacting efficiency or profitably. In some cases, they can even improve them.
Sustainability is about using the resources you have responsibly, reducing waste and operating without causing unnecessary damage to the environment.
‘Sustainability’ isn’t usually something you achieve overnight. It’s a process of improvement, making better decisions across multiple areas of your business from energy to maintenance to waste management.
Examples of Sustainable Business Practices
There are many ways businesses can improve sustainability, including:
- Reducing energy consumption
- Switching to LED lighting
- Minimising paper usage
- Recycling programmes
- Water-saving initiatives
- Sustainable procurement
- Proactive equipment maintenance
While some of these practices may require investment, others are free changes you can implement to make better use of your existing resources.
Why Sustainable Business Practices Make Financial Sense
So far, we’ve looked at sustainability through the lens of environmental impact, but it can also make good business sense.
Lower Operating Costs
One of the biggest advantages for business owners is lower operating costs. By reducing your energy consumption and reducing waste, you can improve efficiency and lower day-to-day operating costs.
This is also true if you can reduce water usage and carry out proactive maintenance to extend the life of existing equipment and furniture, limiting the need for more expensive replacements.
Improved Brand Reputation
More and more, customers are choosy about what kind of companies and businesses they will support. By demonstrating your commitment to sustainability, you can improve your brand reputation, winning the trust of more customers, which can ultimately lead to more sales.
Support ESG and CSR Goals
In recent years, there has been more regulation around sustainability and environmental impact for businesses. And with this increasing focus, many businesses now have Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments.
By adopting sustainable business practice, you can demonstrate your progress towards these goals to stakeholders, investors and supply chain partners.
There are many examples where failing to meet ESG requirements can actually limit your access to certain contracts and may lead to financial penalties if your industry is heavily regulated. Industries that involve large supply chains tend to have a high level of enforcement.
The Circular Economy & Sustainability: Repair Before You Replace
One easy way to improve your business sustainability is to adopt the Circular Economy model.
Traditionally, businesses follow the ‘buy, use, replace’ model when it comes to furniture and equipment. The Circular Economy model instead prioritises maintenance, repairs and recycling. This helps to reduce the amount of waste your business produces, whilst extending the life of your assets and saving you money.
This shift in approach is simple but it can make a big difference, especially in industries where high-traffic and use can cause equipment and furniture to wear out quickly.
Why Reupholstery Is More Sustainable Than Replacement
In the majority of cases, if furniture or equipment has begun to show signs of wear, it’s often still structurally sound and perfectly functional. Rather than replacing at high cost, repairing or refurbishment can be a low-cost, more sustainable alternative.
Replacing the upholstery allows you to refresh the appearance of your business equipment without the environmental impact associated with manufacturing and purchasing something new.
This is the key principle behind the Circular Economy model.
Some of the other key benefits include:
- Less waste sent to landfill
- Reduced demand for new materials
- Lower transportation emissions
- Extended lifespan for existing assets
- Reduced consumption of resources
- Improved return on investment from furniture and equipment
- Proactive equipment maintenance
Reupholstery vs Replacement:
Which Is the More Sustainable Choice?
The table below shows how reupholstery can support your sustainability goals, over replacement.
Factor | Reupholstery | Replacement |
Waste sent to landfill | Minimal | Significant |
Carbon footprint | Lower | Higher |
Cost | Typically lower | Typically higher |
Downtime | ~60mins/piece with U2u | Time taken to source & deliver/collect replacement |
Environmental impact | Extends asset lifespan | Requires new materials and manufacturing |
Design consistency | Existing colours can be matched | May require wider redesign |
Sustainability Practices by Industry
Reducing energy usage and shifting to a Circular Economy mindset is something all businesses can do however, other sustainable practices vary greatly depending on the industry you operate in.
We take a look at some of the practical tips business owners can put in place for key industries:
Practical Sustainability Tips for Hospitality Businesses
If you’re operating in the hospitality industry, it’s likely that you have high energy-use and a high turnover of materials. Whether you’re a pub, bar, restaurant, cafe or hotel owner, small improvements can make a big difference here.
Reduce Food Waste
Probably one of the most relevant tips for this industry, anything you can do to reduce your food waste supports your sustainability goals. You can implement simple changes such as looking at your stock control process, reviewing portion sizes and improving storage practices. All of these things can help to minimise the amount of food being thrown away each day.
Improve Energy Efficiency
Hospitality venues often need a large amount of energy just to operate. You need to power lighting, cooking equipment, tills and more. By switching to LED lighting, using timers or sensors, and only turning on equipment when it’s in use, you can reduce your energy usage and improve efficiency.
Source Local Products and Suppliers
One of the key environmental factors businesses should consider is their supply chains. The shorter the supply chain, and the less distance produce has to travel to reach you, the less impact it will have on the environment.
You should try to build relationships with local suppliers wherever possible. For venues serving food, opt for seasonal menus that allow you to source ingredients without importing. Not only will it help the environment, but your ingredients will be much fresher too!
Refurbish Existing Furniture and Seating
Seats and furniture in hospitality spaces get a lot of use. If you have pub or booth seating and upholstered furniture items, they probably start to look worn long before they’re actually broken. Instead of replacing these items, you can have them reupholstered to match your existing interior, so your venue looks new again, whilst also helping to reduce waste and consumption.
Practical Sustainability Tips for Gym Businesses
Reduce Energy Consumption
Gym environments tend to use a lot of energy, from lighting and air conditioning to running equipment. To improve energy efficiency, switching to LED lighting is a good choice. You could also implement lighting sensors and controls that ensure if areas aren’t in use, unnecessary energy isn’t being used. You should also look to carry out regular machine maintenance to ensure they’re working efficiently.
Encourage Reusable Water Bottles
Single-use plastic has a huge impact on the environment. You should always encourage your members to use reusable water bottles. Make sure you have water fountains and refilling stations around the gym to encourage this.
Extend the Life of Gym Equipment
Specialist gym equipment can be expensive to replace, and replacing unnecessarily costs you money, but it also costs the environment. By maintaining your equipment proactively, you can extend its lifespan and save money. Equipment like gym pads, weight benches and treatment tables often show wear long before they no longer function. This makes gym equipment upholstery a cost effective and sustainable alternative to replacement.
Practical Sustainability Tips for Gym Businesses
Improve Energy Efficiency
Healthcare environments are often open for long hours and rely on electricity to run important equipment. So while it’s not as simple as turning off lights or shutting down equipment, you can look at how to improve your energy efficiency. This may require some investment but things like upgrading lighting and insulation can lead to a significant reduction in energy use and long-term benefits.
Reduce Waste Where Possible
Waste reduction in a healthcare setting involves careful management of both clinical and non clinical waste. Ordering processes should be reviewed to ensure that single use items are minimised where possible, and that items with expiration dates are only ordered as required.
Implement Responsible Procurement Policies
Healthcare businesses rarely operate alone. When you are trying to improve your sustainability practices, you also need to consider your suppliers. Wherever possible, try to work with responsible suppliers that are also working to sustainable business practices.
Refurbish Existing Furniture and Equipment
Waiting rooms, treatment areas and reception spaces in healthcare settings experience heavy use. As with our other industries, furniture and equipment can begin to look worn but still function perfectly. Consider reupholstering expensive items like dental chairs, treatment benches and waiting room seating to avoid unnecessary replacement. Not only does it reduce your environmental impact but it helps you to maintain a clean, professional healthcare environment.
Practical Sustainability Tips for Retail Businesses
Sustainable Packaging
In retail, packaging is one of the biggest contributors when it comes to environmental impact. If you manufacture products, consider what packaging is really necessary. Avoid overpacking items for online orders and switch to recyclable materials. If you stock resale products, working closely with your suppliers can help to cut down waste.
Energy-Efficient Lighting
For retail environments, lighting is key for atmosphere and product visibility. Switch the LED lighting and use motion sensors in lower-traffic areas such as dressing rooms.
Waste Reduction Initiatives
To reduce waste in a retail environment, recycle where you can. Review your buying process to identify areas you might be overstocking, or experience high levels of wastage. You should also try to reuse items like display materials rather than disposing of them after a single promotion.
Refurbishment Instead of Replacement
In a retail space, interiors may need to be updated more often to avoid looking dated. In this scenario, many of the shop fixtures may still be in good condition. You can reupholster soft furnishing to create an entirely new look for your space, without having to fully replace.
Sustainable Business Practices Checklist
- Reduce energy consumption
- Minimise waste
- Implement recycling programmes
- Review procurement policies
- Extend the lifespan of existing assets
- Repair before replacing
How Can We Help?
Whatever industry you’re operating in, sustainable business practices don’t have to cost the world. Simple, small changes can have a big impact and can actually save you money!
By looking at your energy consumption, how to reduce waste, improve procurement processes and make better use of your existing assets all have both environmental and financial benefits.
Practically, we can’t help with procurement or energy, but we can help you make the most of your furniture and upholstery.
We offer a UK-wide, mobile upholstery service that helps to extend the lifespan of your furniture and equipment. We come directly to you, replacing worn and damaged items on-site in as little as 1 hour. That’s minimal downtime and disruption for your business.
If you’re looking for consistency, we are able to carefully colour match to your existing interiors. If you’re looking for a complete new look, we have over 1000 fabrics to choose from.
Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
