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In a world where over 80% of consumers want to know about businesses' efforts on suitability and how they're reducing their effect on the world around them, it pays to be making changes to how you operate to become more eco-friendly and meet the needs of the consumer.

Becoming eco-friendly isn't a thing that will happen overnight or instantly. You need to roll out a plan for your future today for the results down the line. If you look at many of the big corporations making climate change promises for their output, you will see they are forecasting for years in the future with their goal to be completely carbon neutral three, four, and five years in the future.

The reality is that even small changes can support your business and be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.

This post dives into some easy ways to "go green" to help you get on the right path.

Printing

Whether you print at work using refillable cartridges or paying attention to the printing in your packages, you need to look at the type of ink and printing methods used on your products or packaging as well as the materials used in these. By partnering with an eco friendly printing company, you can reduce your waste, improve your eco credentials, and avoid putting additional and harmful chemicals into the world.

LED Lighting

Not one to directly impact the consumer, but if you are serious about your journey towards being eco-friendly, then the energy you consume and how you see it is an important consideration. LED lights are the most energy-efficient lighting source on the market and give the same output while using up to 85% less power to run. Not only this, they are more durable and have longer lifespans meaning you don't need to replace them as often as you stand light bulbs.

Recycled Materials

Recycling has come a long way since the early days, and now you can have almost anything recycled and buy most things recycled too. If you use a lot of paper, then choosing recycled paper should be your go, and the same goes for packing. Using packing materials that have been recycled can offer you the same packing quality but with less impact on the environment. Always check with your suppliers what recycled options they have or packing and materials you can recycle at the end of their life, including electronics, to help you reduce waste and keep the cycle going.

Web Servers

Another option you might not have considered as an option to go eco-friendly is your web servers and your IT needs. We touched upon being able to recycle electronics in the above point; however, data centers use a tremendous amount of energy, and as such, you can still impact the environment if you don't address this. Globally the internet uses a hell of a lot of energy, and research suggests that the IT industry could use up to 20% of the world's global energy usage by 2025 alone. Look at your hosting providers' eco credentials. Do they use greener energy sources? Do they plant trees to offset their impact? What they do, or don't do will directly impact you, so ask the questions and find yourself a supplier with the same ethos as you.