With large corporations being largely responsible for many kinds of pollution, concerned businesses have become more conscious of their carbon footprint. Some are now putting more effort into going green. Business owners make this decision for several reasons: to help save the earth, to become more appealing to the masses, and for long-term cost-efficiency.
In the Philippines, the price of solar panels have dropped significantly over the last few years due to cheaper materials and popular demand. This is why they are becoming ever so popular in residences and businesses intending to go green. Here’s a quick comparison of pros and cons
Pros
Save Money
The primary benefits of utilizing renewable energy and other efforts towards sustainability are efficiency in energy consumption and reduced waste. Consequently, this also means you get to save a lot of money in the long run. Your electric bill will be considerably lowered, and a substantial amount could be saved by reducing the total number of paper that your company has to use.
Branding
Consumers are constantly looking for ways to ‘help the world, – in a way, it’s sad that many people only do this by choosing products that blatantly announce being environmental-friendly. Branding your business as being eco-friendly makes it more appealing to the masses – however, make sure that it’s authentic. Those caught greenwashing, which is – claiming to be more eco-friendly than you really are, you will lose the trust and respect of the consumers.
Boosting Company Morale
When people search for a job, one of the first things that comes to their minds when looking for a company is its reputation. Having a reputation of being one of the few eco-friendly companies in a specific industry will definitely increase the overall respect and admiration that you receive from the community. Similarly, research shows that companies whose focus is directed at sustainability have employees that are more committed and motivated. Many people want to work for companies that care about the world, and are more than happy to contribute.
Cons
It Takes Time
Going eco-friendly is a process that takes up a considerable amount of time, effort, and money. The decision can happen overnight, but actually implementing and maintaining it takes quite a while. Consequently, choosing to make this decision will require you to put in constant effort to maintain and care for the changes that you’ve integrated into the company.
Initial Costs are Higher
Initial cost is for eco-friendly alternatives tend to be more expensive when compared to their mass-produced counterparts. Why? Because the production scale of eco-friendly products is still considerably small and currently aren’t the norm. Take this for example: solar panels are cheaper now, but you’ll still need to pay for purchasing the panels and installation. They don’t just come with a newly bought or rented office or commercial space like a normal power supply. However, in the long-run, the amount that you will save will eventually surpass the initial costs.
Eco-friendly household products such as those used for cleaning are far less toxic. You won’t be exposing yourself, the staff, and the customers to poisonous chemicals each time you spray. Other items considered to be friendly to the environment include solar-powered gadgets and sustainable products such as stainless steel straws and reusable bags in lieu of plastic.
Going green might sound too much of a hassle at first, but if you read and hear testimonies from people that are already in the “green” business, you’ll know that it is quite rewarding. Aside from benefitting your business and the environment, it’ll also help you grow as an individual that contributes to a good cause in the world.
