Making Your Business Greene

Running a store is an expensive business, so we’ve put together a few ideas to help you save money and make your business more eco-friendly.

1. Using the right bulbs to save money on your energy bills and reduce consumption. LEDs offer a much more energy-efficient lighting solution, so it’s worth investing in these as they’ll pay for themselves in cost-saving.
2. A simple change in cleaning products can help the environment- switch to less toxic, or even better, make your own! You can make a simple, effective cleaning solution from water and distilled vinegar. This is cheap and friendly to the environment!
3. Buy used fixtures for your store. Used shelves and gondolas are a great area to save money in! Shelving4Shops offer a great range of used fixtures, which are in tip top condition and can be dismantled for easy transportation.
4. Use plants to help improve the air quality. Stores often suffer from stale air, lending a stuffy quality to the shop. This can be improved by adding a wall of plants which will help filter the air- more effective if the plants are placed below the air conditioning unit, helping the fresh air to circulate better around the shop.
5. Substitute plastic bags for paper ones - recycled paper bags would be even better. Make receipts optional- ask before printing one, to help save paper- you can offer to email one instead and save a trees!
6. Make sure you purchase energy-efficient equipment. When you buy a new printer or computer, for example, make sure you compare the energy ratings before making your purchase.
7. Turn your equipment off! Fridges and freezers aside, most equipment can safely be switched off at night, but many businesses leave them on to save time in the morning, or simply because they forget. If you can shut everything off each night to avoid sucking "vampire power" to dormant equipment.