Plastic bags can take up to a thousand years to decompose, making them one of the biggest threats to our environment. As such, swapping plastic carriers for paper bags is an easy and affordable way to reduce your impact on the environment. While some customers may want a bag, others are happy to go without, so it’s always worth asking if a bag is even required. Similarly, you can ask shoppers if they would like a receipt and if they do, rather than printing out a paper copy, you could email them one instead to save on paper. 

Many shopkeepers leave tills, printers, computers and lights on overnight. Not only will turning off all your electrical equipment help reduce your carbon footprint, but it will also benefit you financially by helping you save money on your electricity bill! If you must leave lights on, consider investing in energy-efficient lighting that uses LED bulbs. 

Keeping your store clean is always important. However, the cleaning products that you are using may be releasing harmful gases into the air as a result of their potent chemical ingredients. As such, it’s always best to check what’s on the bottle before purchasing and if possible, opt for a non-toxic product. Alternatively, you can make your own cleaning products using a range of natural ingredients like vinegar and baking powder. Using natural cleansers and detergents will not only help to limit air pollution but will also serve to make the water systems connecting to your store cleaner as you will be pouring away fewer chemicals. 

Many business owners use plastic display units and point of sale products in their stores. However, being made of plastic, these items will ultimately take far longer to decompose than those made of more natural materials like wood or stone. Consequently, selecting more biodegradable display units such as our retail wood shelving units will drastically reduce your impact on the environment when it comes to upgrading the displays in your store. 

Finally, if you’re a business that ships their products, reducing the amount of packaging you place in your parcels is a sure way to reduce your waste. While polystyrene chippings and plastic air pockets may serve to protect your products in the short term during transit, they can have serious consequences for the environment in the long term. 

 

Alternatively, if you’re a retailer who stocks products from other suppliers, you can request that a minimal amount of packaging be used to wrap your newly-purchased goods. While it is inevitable that you will receive some packaging in parcels containing the products you’ve ordered, be sure to up your recycling efforts and re-use as much of this as possible. 

As a business owner, following these tips and making some small changes will enable you to make a big impact on a small budget, making the goal to go greener that little bit more achievable! If you’d like to find out more about our extensive range of wooden crate products, please visit our website or get in touch now via our social media channels.