How SMEs can reduce their environmental footprint

Before I launched AMPERNA® in 2018, I had to write a business plan to be able to sell the idea to my business partner (and husband) and my financial advisor. From the very start I knew that I wanted to include a section around sustainability. My background is in the packaging design and brand activations space; I became interested in sustainable packaging very early on in my career when I attended an industry trade fair. We are fully committed to lessening the environmental impact on our planet.

We take this commitment seriously and are always looking for ways that we can make a positive difference. This has come from my belief that it is our responsibility to do all that we can to ethically provide our products, by ensuring that all stages of the supply chain are performed in a sustainable manner. I take this commitment seriously and as we grow, we are always looking for ways that we can make a positive difference. 

Here are my tips to help you start making environmental footprint changes in your business:

Start small

Having a plan in place that is achievable now is great, however don’t think you have to do everything you possibly can right from the beginning. When you are starting out there might be less budget to allocate to compostable postage options for example, however setting  future monthly targets that will allow you to launch compostable postage will mean you are more likely to introduce it down the track. Some easy eco ideas for reducing your environmental footprint from when you launch are working from home rather than renting out an office, having separate bins for rubbish or recycling and compost, shredding all your paper and purchasing upcycled furniture to fit out your space.

Choose the right office supplies

There are so many options on the market for your office supplies. You can choose the best option from an environmental standpoint but also from an ethical standpoint as well. We choose to support as many Australian businesses as we can, so we try to purchase 100 per cent sustainable and recycled office supplies that are made in Australia.

Think about carbon-neutral energy

We use electricity that has 100 per cent of the carbon emissions generated offset so we are completely carbon neutral. This carbon neutral energy utilises carbon offsets from accredited climate action projects in Australia and around the world to help reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. The projects also provide economic, social, and environmental benefits to the communities they are run in.

Look into your suppliers and their environmental impact

Who do you do business with? A great place to start when you launch is to choose suppliers who share your environmental vision. Most businesses will have a sustainability page on their website and if they don’t, you can always ask for information about their commitment to the environment. All ingredients used in AMPERNA® products are of the highest quality and sourced from Australian and European suppliers who also share our sustainability vision. Our products are made in Australia and during the manufacturing process, recycling of any wastewater is also performed to help preserve this precious resource.

It’s a good idea to have a sustainability section in your business plan and this is something you can review as your business grows. More and more consumers are looking for ethical and sustainable products while an increasing amount of investors are also considering businesses from an impact perspective before they invest. An environmentally aware business considers more than just profits, it considers its impact on society and the environment.