In recent years, consumer awareness has been affected by natural phenomena (like frequent floods, droughts, and fires) as well as manmade occurrences. The abuse of consumer trust and the exploitation of resources has led to an increased desire for information regarding the origin, composition and long-term effects of the products we consume daily.
Companies like Clean Air Lawn Care and OxiFresh are increasingly implementing eco-friendly practices to satisfy their customers’ needs, save money, reduce consumption, and become more environmentally conscious.
As we become more familiar with the concept of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, it is slowly becoming part of household routines across the world. But what does this mean on the industrial level?
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Reduce-Reuse-Recycle
Global warming is a growing concern for all those striving to reduce their impact on the environment, starting in their own backyards.
It is possible to significantly improve environmental impact on an individual level if these steps are followed in this order. How can this process translate on a larger industrial level?
It is known that massive rates of pollution come from franchises that use various chemicals and substances and create waste as a by-product of production and distribution.
The reduction of the use of plastic containers, bottles, and bags, their reuse, and recycling as the final step will not only reduce its exploitation but also satisfy the global needs of the consumer.
A recent study showed that 50% of consumers are willing to pay a higher price for an eco-friendly product, which has led companies to change their business approach.
What does it mean for a company to be eco-friendly?
Companies that want to be eco-friendly are focused on creating products and production principles that will satisfy the needs of customers but also have a positive impact on the environment. Criteria that show that a company is eco-friendly include:
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Reduction of waste
Large franchises can opt to have enormous amounts of waste distributed instead of ending up in a landfill. Household appliances, for example, can be sorted and sent for recycling. Until recently, fast food chains threw away all unused food. Today, there are guidelines by which it can be donated.
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Saves energy and water
Switching from electricity to renewable energy sources is another step that makes a company eco-friendly. The use of solar panels and wind as a source of energy has a positive effect on the preservation of the environment and provides a great reduction in costs.
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Use of recycled material
Large quantities of materials are consumed by the construction industry. There is a growing trend to use recycled or otherwise eco-friendly or sustainable material, not only for construction but also for renovation.
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Digital documentation
As we have entered the era of online communication, documents and messages are increasingly being sent and stored digitally. This has a significant impact on the amount of paper, ink and other resources consumed while also streamlining the amount of labor that goes into completing, filing and maintaining records.
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Sustainable marketing
Digital communication has had a huge impact on companies’ marketing practices, as well. Today, companies are trending toward comparatively eco-friendly online marketing instead of flyers, print ads and billboards.
Is It Easy to be Eco-friendly?
We must consider several factors before determining whether a franchise is eco-friendly. Are they transparent in their practices? Do their mission and goals align with sustainability? Have they earned any third-party certifications for sustainable practices? Do they use fair-trade practices and produce provably ethical, cruelty-free products?
A franchise is obliged to limit their consumption of non-renewable energy, and to minimize the amount of waste created after production and the number of gases released as a result of that production.
There are numerous potential benefits that every eco friendly franchise can enjoy, and this contributes to the drastic rise in sustainability efforts. But is every “green” company really green?
Challenges to becoming eco-friendly
The process of becoming eco-friendly is very expensive. The cost of solar panels, windmills, and changes in the process of removing, recycling, and disposing of waste and gases mean that not everyone can immediately afford them.
It has been observed that with the increase in environmental awareness, many consumers are turning to organic products. Even if a company is producing organic products, this does not mean that they are necessarily eco-friendly. Additionally, the absence of certain chemicals like preservatives in organic products drastically reduces the shelf life of these products and therefore raises distribution and waste challenges.
One major challenge is the initial cost of investing in solar technology and equipment, which can be quite expensive. Lack of government incentives or regulations to support the growth of solar energy may make it difficult for businesses to compete with more established energy sources. Luckily, there are lead generation businesses such as Clean Energy Experts that can help solar companies overcome some of these challenges by providing them with a steady stream of solar leads.
Finally, some products cannot be recycled, and some countries cannot afford to recycle, so we cannot wholly prevent pollution. Financial donations to offset environmental impact are often used by companies in such situations.
Conclusion
Trends toward eco-friendly franchising practices affect nearly every industry. Sustainability measures in chemical manufacturing, for example, will in turn impact their customers from janitorial services to healthcare and beyond. Scaling up organic food producers can lead to more widely-offered organic products in supermarkets and restaurants, expanding the market and sparking demand for organic items.
Studies show that as many as 88% of consumers will be loyal to environmentally or socially conscious sellers. When we add to that 55% of those willing to pay more for ecologically produced products and the general reduction of costs, the implications are clear: trending toward sustainability is key to franchise growth and development. Don’t forget to check dailyidealblogs.com for Art, Business, Health, Lifestyle, Tech, and Sports latest news.
