Being environmentally conscious
Australia is becoming more and more environmentally conscious, and rightly so. In Australia, we are lucky to live in such a beautiful and clean country. Though it won’t stay that way unless our growing population continues their effort in sustaining the environment.
As a business owner, you will leave your footprint at every sales platform you attend, and every home your products end up in. It’s up to you whether that footprint is positive or not.
Giving back to the environment and playing your part in looking after Australia is a wonderful feeling. We all want to keep Australia beautiful, and continue to live in our healthy corner of the world. Here are some steps you can take to ‘go green’, and ensure your footprint is a positive one.
Consider your materials
When you design your products, you must consider the environmental impacts of the whole life cycle of the materials involved. This is called eco-design. Developing an eco-design not only helps the environment, but it also has the potential to reduce costs in the long run. Remember, everything that is involved in your entire design process, including the manufacturing, selling, consuming and afterlife will end up somewhere. It doesn’t simply disappear. The fate of synthetic fibres will ultimately be our serene beaches. Therefore, limit your waste, and opt for ingredients or materials that have a low impact, can be recycled, or have a long life.
Consider the entire design process
It’s not only the materials you use that end up in landfill and waterways, it’s also the result of what is involved in your process. Consider the energy efficiency of your production, and opt to use recyclable paper products as much as possible (save the trees!). Say a big fat no to plastics and utilize reusable containers and packaging rather than a silly one time use alternative. Make an effort to minimise transport in the process of concept to delivery.
Consider your display
This is simply another checklist as with your materials and design process. Are all elements of your display reusable, sustainable and eco-friendly? Be resourceful and try to make do with what you already have, rather than scoping out a new stall for every event. Think ahead and create a stall that is versatile to be adapted to every market space, so that it doesn’t end up in landfill. Embrace your creative side!
Consider your suppliers
Buy local so you can become familiar with their processes. This way you confirm that your suppliers are adopting these same practices. When you support suppliers that also have a positive footprint, you’re another step forward to an entirely eco-friendly production process.
