Five ways you could be ‘using less stuff’ in your organisation – and how I can help you!

It is no secret – we all know we have a part to play in reducing our carbon emissions.  

Using Less Stuff is ultimately all about making our organisations more sustainable and saving them money in the process.  

We understand it isn’t always easy. Budgets are tight and there is limited funding and grants available to help businesses make the changes they need.   

However, these are five examples of how you and your business can reduce carbon footprint whilst cutting the cost of energy bills in the process.  

1. Culture and mindset change 

We have all seen the ‘please turn off the light’ signs above switches in office blocks and schools, and while any effort is a good effort, that alone isn’t going to cut it. Using Less Stuff is about changing the culture, and mindset, within an organisation.  

A lot of the time we do things because we always have but actually, we need to press pause and think is there a better, more sustainable way of achieving certain practices. 

I often speak about Nigel’s half a chicken story when it comes to shifting mindset which went down great when I recently spoke on a webinar for the Federation of Small Business. 

https://www.fsb.org.uk/resources-page/how-using-less-can-save-money-and-the-planet.html

2. Switch to green technologies  

Energy efficient LED lighting is an easy change you can make to save up to 80% on your energy consumption. 

At Using Less Stuff, we can upgrade your lighting technology without the need for capital expenditure and you pay us from the savings you make from making the switch. This saves you money while also reducing your carbon footprint.  

We recently worked with Queen Anne’s School in Caversham to help them reduce their lighting costs and implement a greener solution. We were able to reduce their annual bill.  

3. Recycle, recycle, recycle 

Recycling is an easy way to showcase you are taking your corporate responsibility seriously. It all feeds back into making cultural changes in your organisation.  

As you recycle your plastic bottle, you will begin to question yourself, did I really need it in the first place? Could I have used my own? Again, it comes down to shifting our mindset and moving away from what we are used to. 

4. Set targets 

It is a simple one but by setting a collective goal in your school or organisation, you create team cohesion.  

This is hugely beneficial for working practices, while increasing productivity and reducing the costs of the bills you have worked to improve.  

5. Research and development tax credits 

In 2000, the Government started a scheme to encourage technological innovation, which in return gives organisations Corporation Tax relief.  

The innovation can be creating new products, processes or services, or modifying an existing product or service.  

Our team can help you through the process, especially when it comes to finding sustainable solutions or making changes to reduce your carbon emissions.