7 Ways to Make Your Contracting Business More Sustainable

Are you running a contracting business? On the surface, it seems like it might be the best time ever to do so. A study from Deloitte showed that this will be a year with great opportunities for the construction industry. The market was worth over $1.57 trillion last year. Unfortunately, it will also experience a number of challenges, which will make it a problem for a lot of contractors. In light of these concerns, they may have difficulty upholding their commitments to sustainability.

Contractors Must Take Important Steps To Practice Green Living in 2022

Running a successful contracting business in 2022 isn’t going to be easy. There are so many challenges and potential problems that can leave you struggling to stay in the green.

Speaking of going green, climate change is one of the most pressing issues on the horizon for businesses and the world in general. As the potentially devastating impacts of climate change become clearer, many companies have developed sustainability plans to reduce their emissions and become a more sustainable business. Go green and check out our seven ways to make your business more sustainable.

Contractors in particular need to focus on taking the right steps to embrace sustainability. the World Economic Forum reports that the global construction industry accounts for 38% of the global carbon footprint. Contractors need to take significant steps to lower their carbon footprint if they want to demonstrate that they are good stewards of the planet.

There are a lot of reasons contracting companies engage in practices that aren’t great for the environment. They use a lot of raw materials, which can depleted if they are wasted. They also have to transport heavy materials and use energy consuming production processes, which also contribute to the industry’s high carbon footprint.

Fortunately, there are more incentives to go green these days, which means it is possible for contractors to be both profitable and eco-friendly. It is clear that more than just environmental benefits are associated with going green. In fact, 62% of executives believe that a sustainability plan will be essential for remaining competitive. That is because a successful sustainability initiative can improve brand reputation, develop new growth opportunities, improve customer relationships through shared values, and even attract more funding. Do your part to make the world a better place and see the rewards.

1. Cut Your Waste

Reducing waste isn’t just good for the environment; it is also a positive for your bottom line. Each business will produce a different amount of waste, but the important thing is finding the best way to reduce it and dispose of it.

There are many steps you can take to become more sustainable but getting the experts in will always help. From getting in touch with expert waste treatment contractors to replacing plastic cutlery with bamboo substitutes and even making your promotional merchandise reusable. These small changes require your employees to buy into the sustainability initiative, but the potential benefits are huge.

As a contractor, there are a lot of steps that you can take to reduce waste. One idea is to use cutting and reframing techniques to minimize wasted materials. You can also bring excess materials to your next jobsite or donate it. In addition to being good for the environment, these are sound financial practices for green construction companies. They will be able to reduce the cost of wasted materials or potentially claim tax deductions for donated materials.

2. Source Sustainably

Whenever possible, you want to use green building materials. If that isn’t an option, you want to at least use sustainable suppliers.

Are you asking the right questions about your source materials and products? There is no better place to start the transition to sustainability than at the source. By checking to see if the materials you use each day are sourced sustainably and ethically, you can begin to make enormous progress towards becoming a more conscientious and sustainable organization.

We recommend that you adopt renewable and biodegradable materials that have a minimal impact on the environment. You should also look for fairtrade products to ensure that the workers who make your products are paid a fair wage.

There are a lot of ways to source sustainably as an eco-friendly contractor. You should also consider using local wood and gravel suppliers, because it is better for the planet not to transport these materials so far.

3. Support Good Causes

If you have done all that you can to increase sustainability within your business model, the next step is to offset your environmental impact by supporting green initiatives and charities.

Some of the different ways you can actively support these good causes are donating part of your profit to environmental programs, fundraising within your organization, planting trees, or other promotions. However, you choose to support a cause, just make sure it aligns with your businesses’ beliefs.

4. Reduce Paper

Paper may not be the biggest source of waste in the construction industry, but it is not nonexistent. You have to consider reducing it, even if this won’t help the planet as much as reducing other forms of material waste.

Offices in the US alone use 12.1 trillion sheets of paper each year. That is not just expensive but an alarming number of trees. Just simply reducing the amount of paper used across your company or business will have a big impact on sustainability. Employers can facilitate this reduction by investing in print and scanning solutions.

By using less paper (or at least sourcing recycled paper), you can help save millions of trees and save on physical storage space. It might not be possible to become a completely paper-free company, but the main aim is to keep reducing and recycling the paper you do use.

5. Encourage Employees to Go Green

You can set goals all you like, but the key to success falls at the feet of your employees. Therefore, if you can incorporate sustainability into your company culture, you are much more likely to see green results.

There are many ways to encourage your employees to live a more sustainable lifestyle. This includes organizing “cycle to work days,” offering subsidies for those who take public transport, and even allowing employees to work from home in a hybrid model can be more environmentally friendly. By encouraging a greener mindset and rewarding those who are making a difference, you too will be able to make a difference.

6. Turn Your Office Green

Whether you work in an office or storefront, your workspace is a good place to start to improve sustainability. There are many minor changes that you can make, like using LED lighting, getting rid of plastic cups and cutlery, bringing in plants to improve air quality, finding a green cleaning company, and limiting your heating and air conditioning usage.

As well as these small alterations to your workspace, you should also analyze how you are using the space. If you have recently transitioned to a hybrid work model or simply don’t use the entire office, you could consider downsizing to a smaller, more sustainable space. Use your office space more efficiently by implementing workplace management software. This form of software increases workplace utilization, flexibility, and productivity.

7. Set Goals

When going green, it is crucial to outline what you want to achieve. Take into consideration all the latest scientific research, consult environmental consultants, and set your goals to benefit the environment and your business.

Although implementing a greener business plan may appear costly initially, there is a lot of information to suggest that becoming a more sustainable business will increase your reputation and attract a new generation of environmentally conscientious consumers.

Create a Successful Green Construction Business

There are a lot of measures that you need to take to make your construction company eco-friendlier. You want to take these lessons to heart if you want to brand your company as a true sustainable business. You should also keep track of green construction trends.