Happy Earth Day! Going green as a business has become more popular over the years as more information regarding the environment becomes available. Consumers are more aware of their impact on the planet; as a result, they’ve changed their daily habits, including purchase decisions.
A 2021 survey from Statista revealed that consumers are drawn to shop with brands that offer sustainable packaging materials and carbon neutral shipping options. A recent report from 4H showed that 84% of teenagers have environmental issues at the top of their minds, and they want corporations to take green initiatives to save the planet.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of going green, how it can be done, and where automation fits in.
Why should businesses consider sustainability?
If consumers are looking for businesses with sustainable manufacturing, that’s one reason to support the environment. Let’s look at other reasons companies may want to go green:
Saving money
If your business can become more eco-friendly by using less energy and gas, the company will also save money. Implementing solar power or updating technology systems within a business may require an upfront investment, but can cut costs and carbon emissions long-term.
Risk mitigation
The supply and cost of energy and electricity in the years ahead are uncertain. Implementing measures that save resources is a way to reduce future risk of higher overhead or even access to energy sources.
Tax incentives
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are economic incentives for going green. The exact incentives depend on the current laws and government initiatives, but a business can benefit financially from being environmentally responsible in different ways.
For example, if a business makes the effort to reduce its use of energy by installing a green HVAC system, they will be rewarded with a tax cut. There may also be tax incentives for recycling certain office equipment or using eco-friendly vehicles for making deliveries.
Employee retention
While consumers like supporting causes they care about, remember that staff members are consumers too. If being eco-friendly is part of your work culture, many team members may identify with the company on another level.
Brand reputation
Doing good things for the environment can support a positive company image.
As you can see, going green has its perks. But how can businesses make the shift? You may already know of a company that shrinks its carbon footprint by mailing its products in sustainable packaging, reducing its use of plastic, or planting a tree for every item sold.
When you adopt a “green” way of operating, be sure to let your customers know. Label your packaging, add information on your marketing collateral, promote it on social media, etc. Don’t let your efforts go unnoticed!
There are many different ways a brand can lessen its environmental impact, but let’s look at how automation can help.
Automation can be ideal for creating a green business
Generally speaking, automation increases efficiency within a company. It reduces the chance of human error, makes for a better customer experience, and can increase conversions. But what does it do for the environment?
Let’s start with support staff, where using automation for customer service may change a company’s strategy for hiring and employment for this department. For example, the business may need fewer live agents to handle inquiries since automated chat does some work. As a result of having a smaller team, the company may use less office space, electricity, and energy to produce the same output.
Or, maybe the customer service team works remotely and doesn’t commute to an office so they use less gas.
Another consideration is that automation often uses cloud storage, which is more sustainable than using an on-premise server. Typically, a cloud provider’s data center optimizes efficiency by utilizing fewer resources.
If automation does the work, you don’t have to use electricity responding to social media posts/queries yourself.
Automation can potentially prevent people from contacting you multiple times because you didn’t answer their question. The less they contact you, the less electricity or battery power they consume.
Automation can contribute to a more sustainable future
At ManyChat, we work to provide tools to help businesses succeed, whether it’s to generate more sales or support a cause.
If your business is already supporting environmental causes, using a tool such as Instagram DM Automation to drive sales is one way technology can help get the word out about your efforts and influence others to do the same. Or perhaps your chat automation shares information about how to put the environment first or explains about your sustainable packaging.
What ways is your business supporting environmental sustainability?
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