Ways Your Business Can Love the Planet This Valentine's Day

Roses are red, violets are blue, and your Valentine’s Day can be green, too. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to show your partner how much you appreciate them, however, like many commercialized holidays, it can become a day in which our planet is neglected. The millions of roses, gifts, greeting cards, and chocolate boxes exchanged on this day have a massive impact on the environment, generating carbon dioxide emissions and creating extensive volumes of waste. According to the National Retail Federation, Valentine's Day costs the average American $196.31. This year, consumers are projected to spend a total of $2.3 billion on flowers, $2.4 billion on candy, $5.8 billion on jewelry, and $1.3 billion on greeting cards. While you may not be able to singlehandedly offset the waste generated, strengthening your business’s commitment to the planet can help lessen the environmental impact. We’ve rounded up a list of ways your business can show some love to the planet this Valentine’s Day.

Turn off the lights & use energy-efficient bulbs

If your office has windows, you can take advantage of the natural light that your office has and shut off the lights whenever possible. Not only will you save on energy costs and use less resources, turning lights off will also keep the room cooler, an extra benefit in the summer. Additionally, by switching your bulbs to energy-efficient LED’s, your business will spend less money on electricity and less money replacing broken bulbs.

Take the time to sort your trash and recyclables

As the industry has continued to move towards a single-stream recycling model, it is crucial for businesses and consumers to understand the importance of recycling contamination. If one of your employees accidentally forgets to rinse their Starbucks plastic cup before dropping it in the recycling bin, it lessens the value of the entire batch of recyclables. If the contamination level is too high, the load may be sent to the landfill rather than the recycling center. You should take the time to teach your employees exactly what is and is not recyclable and the consequences of improper disposal methods. Whether that’s washing off any food remnants or learning what should be recycled rather than trashed, your business will waste less money and resources as a result.

Organize a green commute day

If every person drives their own car into work every day, your company is creating large volumes of emissions on a daily basis. Consider instituting a green commute day once a month, where everyone uses more eco-friendly modes of transportation to come into work. Individuals could elect to organize a carpool, ride their bike, or take public transportation that day. Your employees may enjoy the departure from routine, and the environment will thank you.

Revamp the office kitchen

One disposable plate at lunch may not feel consequential in the moment, but multiple employees using several single-use items a week adds up and contributes to a larger volume of products being sent to the landfill. By removing all the disposable cutlery, plates, and cups and replacing them with reusable, sustainable alternatives, you’ll decrease your monthly budget on kitchenware and show the environment some love in the process.