5 benefits ISO 14001 Brings to Businesses

Business ethics are important to me, so here is a guest post on ISO 14001

As a coach who works with businesses, I am always keen to share thoughts on how working ethically and in an environmentally conscious way can bring huge benefits within the business. I’m as passionate about this as I am about the impacts of State of Mind on business.  This blog post is from Assent.

1. Reduction in product usage and wastage. 

ISO 14001 is a good incentive to start monitoring the amount of rubbish you produce; both recycling and non-recycling. Many businesses find that much of what goes in general waste could be recycled.

When taking a look at how much waste you produce, you may be able to come up with methods and ideas to decrease it. This could include buying products in greater volumes, then decanting them into multi-use containers. For instance, you could buy 1 X 5 litre bottle of disinfectant and decant it into 5 reusable bottles instead of buying 5 X 1 litre bottles and throwing them away when they are empty. Usually, buying in bulk is more cost effective, and if you are having to re-fill bottles, you’ll pay better attention to ensuring you are using the correct amounts.

2. Cost Reduction.

When introducing environmentally friendly products, many organisations experience cost reductions. For example, you may change your contract with your waste disposal contractor to one that requires less waste collections. Or you may start using less products, such as paper, and therefore not have to buy as much.

3. Discover opportunities for staff to be provided with more formal training

When implementing a management system, you will learn a lot about your company, the products you use and the products you sell. For example, an introduction of new environmentally-friendly products provides a perfect opportunity for training to ensure the products are being used correctly. It may also highlight any misuse of products that could lead to negative health effects, such as products covered by COSHH regulations.

4. Use more eco-friendly products

You may have considered, or already be using, environmentally friendly products. However if you haven’t then you may find that when reviewing the products and materials you use and buy, you’ll find that they can be replaced with eco-friendly products. This is a great way to reduce any negative impacts on the environment from the current products and materials you’re using. Some eco-friendly products are safe to dispose of without needing a discharge consent, which will save your organisation money.

5. Better for the health of your staff.

Not only are eco-friendly products better for the environment, but they can have positive effects on the wellbeing of your staff too. Harsh materials and strong chemicals come with a range of negative health effects if used incorrectly, including; skin complaints, headaches, breathing issues and allergic reactions. Ensuring that staff are using less harmful products – and using them correctly – could help prevent problems before they start, and may work better than their non-eco-friendly alternatives.