Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has caused a disruption affecting both the economy and livelihood. A report titled, “COVID-19, Technology, and Polarizing Jobs” has reported that COVID-19 can result in the loss of 242 million full-time jobs. More than 50% of these losses are predicted to happen from Asia and the Pacific. Further, people are enjoying working from home without reducing their frequency and most of the companies have announced that they will continue with the hybrid working model. In short, COVID-19 will change the way businesses and offices are handled.
One thing which is clearly evident is that the old way of doing business will not return. It is essential to ensure that businesses are now environment-friendly and sustainable. Without compromising with the economic recovery, the business should scale up their investment in green technology to ensure that both economic and environmental development exist together. Here are a few tips to implement green tech in business after COVID-19.
1. Server water from water dispensers instead of bottled water
Serving bottled water is seen as a status symbol in many companies. It needs to be noted that using these bottled water will only fill the landfill with plastic. It is a good idea to invest in a good water dispenser and serve water from it in a good glass to become more environmentally friendly. Not all the plastic in the water bottle is recyclable.
2. Use LED lights
Replacing the bulbs of the office with LED lights will reduce energy usage to a huge extent. Further, the carbon footprint of the company also reduces. Economically speaking, the life of the LED lights are more than the bulbs. It can last up to 20 years and requires, of course, less energy.
3. Go paper-free
We have been working remotely and paper-free while working from home. The habit of going paper-free should continue even after the pandemic is over. Not only many corporations but also the government is using e-governance to have websites like TNREGINET and BanglarBhumi for not only helping the citizen to do things at ease but is also helping the government offices to remain paper-free.
4. Consider online service instead of a storefront
If you are a service or product selling company, you should consider replacing the storefront by selling the products and services online. This will not only save money but will prove to be an extremely eco-conscious decision. Further, without having a physical storefront, the environmental impact of using gas, electricity, and water will be saved.
4. Go for green architecture
Green architecture can highly reduce the usage of resources. It is a good idea that when looking for an office, you go for one that has adequate natural light and does not typically belong to the glass building. Having glass offices makes sense in countries that are situated away from the equator and India is close to the equator and it is fairly hot here. A glass building will create a greenhouse impact which would require more air conditioners to cool down the office.
5. Cloud computing instead of house servers
House servers require plenty of resources to cool themselves down. Therefore, if you need a house server for your business, you should try your hands on cloud computing. The cloud computing provided by Google and Amazon runs their system very efficiently.
6. Green shipping material
If you are a company that ships products, it is high time for you to reconsider the shipping materials that you use. Try going for green shipping material to reduce its environmental impact. Instead, instead of wrapping a valuable item with bubble wrap or other expensive filler, shredded papers of the company can be used. This is not only money-friendly but also environment-friendly too.
7. Segregate the waste generated
Instead of having a single dustbin to dump all the waste generated, invest in multiple dustbins to segregate the waste to ensure that the waste is disposed of and used accordingly.
On top of following these practices, it is also important to create awareness among the employees too. Consider having workshops or conferences that highlight the importance of going free not only in the office but also at home. Popular companies that have adopted green technology include Intel, Apple, Dell, Google, Microsoft, HP, Sony and Adobe. Your company can also join this list by ensuring proper implementation of green tech for a better future.