In the world of today, businesses must strive to become greener and environmentally responsible. In 2020 in America, 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions came from industries. Only the transportation sector (at 27% of all greenhouse emissions) is a higher producer of these gases that contribute directly to global warming, climate change, and the growing threat of extreme weather patterns. Thankfully, industry and businesses across the world are now becoming more environmentally friendly. The increasing awareness of the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change on the global population is now recognised and understood. In this article, three examples of how businesses and industries are changing to reduce their impact on the environment are explored.
The Rise of Recycling
Many people over forty will remember a time when recycling was just a concept rather than an action undertaken by all. In recent decades homeowners across the world have started to recycle their waste products and packaging regularly. The recycling industry has grown rapidly since the 1970s. Today, there are more than 56,000 reuse and recycling establishments in the U.S alone and this growth in the sector is continuing in many countries. Modern technology used in recycling includes balers and compactors provided by such firms as recyclingbalers.com, and this machinery is vital in allowing recycling firms to process an enormous amount of waste materials in a fast and efficient manner. Recycling firms also have technology that allows them to monitor the type and amount of recyclable waste that is disposed of by consumers and can help indicate localities where extra incentives or education need to be rolled out to improve recycling rates.
The Rise of Virtual Meetings in Business
Any employee who was required to work from home or adopt a hybrid working routine during the Covid-19 pandemic will be aware of video conferencing technology such as Skype and MS Teams. This was an integral part of staying connected with teammates and group tasks whilst working away from the office. Today, as the initial stages of the pandemic become a memory, many businesses and industries are still conducting their meetings remotely via video conferencing. It is a recognised fact that by utilizing video conferencing software, many employees no longer need to travel to be physically present in meetings. As a result, millions of journeys are saved every year and there is a direct reduction in the release of greenhouse gases thanks to a reduction in the usage of cars and public transportation for this purpose.
The Paperless Office
A few decades ago, most businesses and corporations would use enormous amounts of printing paper each year. Documents such as reports, memos, and statistics were routinely printed out on a commercial printer and in most offices, it seemed that the printer would be working incessantly. Today, businesses have benefitted from the rise in cloud-based storage and an increasing use of tablets, laptops, and smartphones. Cloud storage offers a secure solution for the storing and retrieval of documents which can then be viewed away from work networks on tablets and phones that have access to the internet. Simply put, the business world of today is fast becoming a truly paperless environment.
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