The December period is a very busy time – and this is especially true for businesses. In addition to hurrying to get everything in order before Christmas, there’s also the pressure to plan for the year ahead whilst balancing staff absences and other festive commitments. With so much to think about – sustainability and carbon reduction isn’t usually high on the agenda!
The Christmas period has a tendency to generate a substantial amount of waste, and consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the long-term damage to the planet this causes. As a result, many people are actively looking to choose and support sustainable businesses that are conscious of their carbon footprint and environmental impact.
In this blog, we’ll be discussing how you can ensure your business’s sustainability standards remain intact during one of busiest periods of the year and exploring what benefits this can bring to your organisation.
Wrapping paper, presents and indulgent parties – Christmas tends to be a time of excess, which produces a significant volume of waste. As a nation, we are estimated to eat 80% more food compared with the rest of the year, binning 230,000 tonnes of it in the process. The festive season also creates more plastic waste than any other time –most of it ends up in landfill or is burned, squandering money, energy and resources.
Individual behaviour matters – but businesses can help to address the problem with waste at Christmas and all year round.
It’s easy to become used to working in certain ways, where old practices are so inextricably ingrained within operations that often, people don’t even think to question whether anything could be done differently in terms of carbon reduction. This means that many organisations are unknowingly continuing unsustainable business practices that are then exacerbated by the pressures and demands of December.
It’s essential that businesses promote sustainable practices in the supply chain and within their areas of operation, such as offices and shops. The ongoing challenges prompted by climate change means that sustainability and carbon reduction is no longer a choice but a practice that both individuals and businesses must adopt.
This means showing what you’re doing to reduce your environmental impact and carbon footprint through real action that goes beyond vague promises.
A great place to begin is by reflecting on the past year and making plans for the future.
Although examining your businesses success and failures may be the last thing you want to do during December – this is actually the ideal time. It allows you to thoroughly consider the last twelve months, recognise if anything could be done differently and set sustainability goals for the next year. This will force you to think whether there is potential to reuse any resources, or identify sources of waste.
Even if it’s too late this month to be able to implement or see any real change this December, it will prepare you for the coming business year by equipping you with the right mindset and skills.
Another way to boost your sustainability credentials in the Christmas period is by looking towards sustainable, ethical procurement. Sustainability starts in the supply chain, and making changes here is one of the best ways of improving your own business credentials.
From working with local wholesalers and reducing food miles through to forming partnerships with businesses and suppliers who have similar values – a sustainable supply chain can bring a wide range of practical, financial and reputational benefits to your organisation. This is especially helpful in a period like Christmas, where you want to stand out from your competitors and improve efficiency in times of high product or service demand.
Wherever your business is on its sustainability and carbon reduction journey – to make meaningful change, you need to be able to measure and gain visibility of where you are now.
This is where Axiom comes in!
Axiom is a powerful cloud-based platform that helps your organisation monitor, analyse and improve its sustainability performance. Our specialist software gives you the necessary data and information so that you can make more informed, sustainable choices and track your environmental performance.
Achieve stated sustainability goals and get your business to where it needs to be, and ensure that your operations and supply chain are as environmentally friendly as they can possibly be all year around with our help.
Book your Demo today at https://axiom-sustainability.com/why-choose-axiom/
Want to know more? Please get in contact with our team here.
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