Any entrepreneur producing goods will know the importance of staying ahead of cultural trends to appeal to customers. Entrepreneurs who manage their own production are immediately at an advantage to change production methods to be more ethical and sustainable. Thriving small businesses are able to quickly improve and adjust to suit the customers increasing desire for more sustainable and ethically produced products. There are lots of changes to make to improve the ethical and sustainable standard of your products, from carbon footprint, style of manufacture and material usage. Here are three ethical & sustainable production tips for small business…
Ethical & Sustainable Practices
Produce Locally
If you manage your own production, then you can bring your manufacturing to be more local to you. It’s just a simple fact that when you’re further from the action, the less is understood of what is really happening. Having tight checks in place is the most important thing. Setting up your own production warehouse, fitting it out with spiral elevators mean you can keep a close eye on the production process and spot any materials being wasted. Producing locally and having close checks on production mean that you are reducing your carbon footprint and wastage.
Empower Your Employees
Employees that are tasked with checking for defects by watching over your production need to feel empowered. Depending on your business you could have hundreds of products being made every week. Thus, managers need to have a keen eye and support employees. Employees need to feel empowered to spot material wastage or be able to spot ways that your production methods could be improved. The human eye is still the best tool to use when making sure your products are up to the standard you require before being given to customers, so make sure your team are all empowered to speak up and make suggestions.
Use Compostable Packaging
Even if a product is completely sustainable all the way to packaging and storing, it could still be harmful to the environment- if your packaging is not compostable. Opt for compostable packaging to ensure that all bags are able to break down and don’t end up in a landfill. Proper packaging for your goods mean that you avoid damage and avoid wastage in the warehouse, so you need to make sure that your packaging is both sustainable and fit for the job.
The new green revolution and climate change is creating a demand on businesses to improve their practices, hopefully these few tips will help your small business to become more ethical and sustainable for 2020.
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