A sustainable business is one that is commercially viable while taking a long-term intergenerational view.
As well as being the right thing to do, reducing your waste and emissions is a useful tool for marketing and can become a valuable part of your brand. Consumers want to buy goods and services from those that can demonstrate sustainability, and in many cases are willing to pay more.
Reducing waste and emissions can also reduce inefficiencies in your business. It might take some up-front investment, but reducing your impact may save you money in the longer term as well as make your brand more attractive.
Experts tell us that the secrets to success in making a real impact is to work out what aspects of your business are having a negative impact, and to start small. Once you get going it gets easier to find more ways to make a difference.
When it comes to environmental sustainability, dairy farming gets a bad rap. But Sam and Jo Spencer-Bower are proving that with a bit of planning, smart technology and the right attitude, dairying can have a manageable environmental footprint.
Since 2017, Chatterton Homes has been exclusively building passive homes; extremely energy-efficient buildings in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating.
Misco Joinery’s environmental journey may have started out as a savvy business move, but it’s quickly blossomed into a new way of thinking and a point of pride for the Kaiapoi-based business and its 70-strong team.
