Sustainability is the new trend for businesses, and it is here to stay.
A recent PwC survey has some cheerful news for businesses that have been investing in sustainability. A third of CEOs find that these investments have increased their firm’s revenue. In some cases, they have also reduced costs.
However, when it comes to primarily digital businesses, such as marketing agencies or IT companies, the generated waste and emissions are not always tangible. A lot gets brushed under the carpet or becomes someone else’s responsibility.
According to Let’s Do It! World, an NGO that organizes World Cleanup Day, the Internet produces about one billion tons of GHGs (greenhouse gases) annually. Some more pessimistic estimates suggest that the Internet could be responsible for 50 percent of global energy consumption by 2030.
Evidently, upping the focus on sustainable operations is crucial for digital businesses as well. Here are three concrete ideas you can implement to make your business friendlier to the environment.
1. Partner With Green Website Hosting Companies
Digital businesses can reduce their emission of GHGs by selecting green hosting partners. Some providers emphasize energy efficiency by matching their power consumption with investments in renewable energy and practical steps, like planting more trees.
Some web hosts partner with certified green energy suppliers to obtain green tags. Each purchase brings them a designated amount of energy. The US EPA explains what a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) signifies: it means that one megawatt-hour of electricity comes from a renewable energy source.
Apart from REC, you can also obtain a Carbon Offset Certificate through recycling initiatives. It is a brilliant strategy to bolster your digital business’s eco-friendliness.
Besides reexamining their hosting partners, companies can make their websites greener through these ideas:
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Make your website easy to navigate
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Reduce image file sizes by compacting them
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Implement web caching
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Question the need for third-party scripts
The best part is that the steps to make your website greener often also make it more meaningful and impactful. When users don’t feel hassled exploring your platform, they will be more likely to be interested in giving you business.
2. Manage Digital Waste Responsibly
Digital businesses contribute significantly to electronic waste, a worrying concern for the planet. In 2022, the E-Waste Monitor reported that the world produced over 60 million tonnes of electronic waste. By 2030, the organization predicts this volume to increase by 32 percent. Computers, IT devices, and other office electronics comprise a massive chunk of this.
As a digital business owner, you must take responsibility to ensure that e-waste gets appropriately disposed of and recycled. This process typically focuses on retrieving usable metals and plastics while eliminating potential toxins, such as lead. Digital businesses must proactively champion sustainable disposal and regulatory compliance.
Historically, digital equipment in various fields, from marketing businesses to medical research, has faced concerns in disposal. The US Environmental Protection Agency recognizes this and takes steps to protect communities from toxins released in the air during waste disposal and treatment.
However, lax attitudes are not uncommon across sectors. The ongoing ethylene oxide lawsuits hold medical sterilization companies accountable for releasing carcinogens into the atmosphere. CBS News reports that many mobile phone and laptop manufacturers launch new models every year, which mandates ramping up retrieval and recycling of old components.
Unfortunately, many recycling centers are self-policed by the United States and are remarkably few in countries like Ghana or Nigeria. According to TorHoerman Law, the present situation requires more companies to ramp up emissions monitoring and more stringent quality control, regardless of their industry.
3. Focus on Developing Content With Enduring Value
Content is king, they say. It is what keeps you relevant. The content revolution has sparked off in such an inspiring way that most businesses, from construction to fashion design, now have dedicated blogs and editorial sections.
One problem that silently creeps up amid all this is the challenge of maintaining and updating this content. It is hard work. It also does not bode very well for sustainability.
Businesses may experience this problem if they focus mainly on trend-driven or seasonal content, whose demand fluctuates and becomes irrelevant faster.
Instead, digital businesses should focus on integrating evergreen content into their plans that remain useful for an extended period. Such pieces also make sense for sustainable SEO and succeed at organic traffic without resorting to gimmicks. Think tutorials, industry best practices, and how-to guides. Consider developing enduring content balanced with time-sensitive text and multimedia, allocating resources accordingly.
Forbes offers a practical guide on how to retain the freshness of content without incurring excessive effort or time. For example, taking inputs from industry experts and integrating practical use cases can encourage your clients to return to the article (or bookmark it).
While performing a content inspection, you should also examine broken links, unnecessary tags, and other redundancies that can bring inefficiencies.
These guidelines can help your business become more sustainable and grounded in reality. Investing in sustainable business practices supports companies with societal responsibilities, such as reducing waste and emissions to mitigate climate change.
Moreover, since ethics and sustainability go hand in hand, companies cannot afford to sideline the rising need for greener operations. It could involve community engagement to address an ongoing challenge or ethical sourcing and labor practices. Over time, unifying these efforts will help your organization build a reputation for being ethical and conscientious, digital or otherwise.
