10 affordable ways to become a green business

A guide providing ten affordable strategies for businesses to improve sustainability, focusing on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and ethical procurement to reduce environmental impact and operational costs.

• Switching from incandescent and fluorescent bulbs to LEDs reduces energy costs and waste, as LED bulbs last an average of 35,000 to 50,000 hours, whereas incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.
• Businesses can reduce water consumption by installing low-flow fittings with aerators, which can cost less than £10 each, or by replacing old dishwashers with Energy Star-rated models that use 2-4 gallons of water per cycle compared to up to 15 gallons in older models.
• Paper waste costs UK businesses £15 billion annually. The guide suggests reducing this by using email receipts and invoices, scanning documents instead of photocopying, and reusing packaging materials like jiffy bags and envelopes.
• Less than 1% of disposable coffee cups in the UK are recycled because the plastic lining must be separated from the paper, a process only three UK plants can perform. Businesses are encouraged to offer discounts to customers who use reusable cups.
• Transitioning to a veggie-only menu can reduce a cafe's carbon footprint by up to 70%, as livestock farming accounts for 20% of global greenhouse emissions. The guide emphasizes sourcing seasonal produce from local farmers over wholesalers.
• Energy waste from appliances on standby costs the average household £80 per year, with businesses paying more. The guide recommends turning appliances off at the wall or using smart plugs to cut power automatically.
• Implementing bike-to-work schemes can reduce employee carbon footprints; cycling 10km each way can save approximately 1,500kg of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Additionally, 33% of employers report that cycling staff are more productive.
• The hospitality and food industry in Britain wastes nearly one million tons of food annually, with over half going to landfill and only 100,000 tons being composted.

APA

Nobly, J. P. (2018). 10 affordable ways to become a green business. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/10-affordable-ways-to-become-a-green-business

Chicago

Nobly, Josh Phillips,. 10 affordable ways to become a green business. Green Economy Coalition, 2018. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/10-affordable-ways-to-become-a-green-business.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nobly |first1=Josh Phillips, |title=10 affordable ways to become a green business |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=23 August 2018 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/10-affordable-ways-to-become-a-green-business |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nobly2018affordable, author = {Nobly, Josh Phillips,}, title = {{10 affordable ways to become a green business}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/10-affordable-ways-to-become-a-green-business}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }