Alongside the growing number of businesses that are directly connected to the zero waste lifestyle (read our recent articles for ideas), most enterprises still offer traditional goods and services. Adoption of zero waste practices by such companies will make a big difference in reducing waste pollution around the world. So, let’s look at some examples of how business-owners can be nature-friendly while still making money in a traditional way.
Cleaning services are often done with aggressive chemicals that pollute wastewater, and using plastic accessories. If you think about it, it’s a bit ironic that a service that’s supposed to clean actually makes the environment dirtier! In order to avoid this, cleaning businesses can implement sustainable practices such as these:
People’s busy schedules and desire to save time on cooking have made takeaway food and meal delivery extremely popular. But in most cases, the amount of waste produced by such a dinner is enormous. Every dish needs its own container, often with tiny sachets of sauce, salt and pepper on the side. Biodegradable and compostable packaging doesn’t help either, —read our previous article to find out why. The eco-transformation of this type of business is hard, but possible! These things will make takeaways greener:
Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted in most countries and society is coming back to offline meetings and conferences. But the return of big events brings the return of big waste: single-use coffee cups, plates and cutlery, disposable napkins, decorations, flowers and marketing materials often go to landfill or are incinerated when the event is over. These zero waste event-planning practices can reduce the negative impact on the environment:
The beauty industry helps people look however they like. But the planet doesn’t look any cleaner as a result of its services! The average beauty salon is filled with plastic bottles and plastic equipment. But making this kind of business greener is easier than it seems. Here’s how:
Fast fashion is an extremely polluting industry at every step in its economic cycle. From sourcing and dyeing the material to changing the collections several times during the season, the whole process leaves tons of waste behind. But a professional stylist can help clients avoid covering the planet with waste, by:
It may come as a surprise, but floristry is a highly unsustainable business. The flowers often travel across the globe to make someone happy for just a few days. CO2 is emitted during transportation, and harsh chemicals are used to make flowers of unnatural colours and keep them fresh for longer. In addition, tons of plastic wrapping are used during the delivery and at the flower shop. But a zero waste florist's shop is still possible, by:
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In general, you can keep the waste that any business produces to a minimum. If you are already an entrepreneur and we didn’t mention your niche in this article, you can start your transformation by switching to e-receipts and online advertising, swapping out disposables for reusables, and recycling and composting your waste.