Once I was sitting with friends at dinner, and the conversation turned to ecology. Word by word at the table, a dispute erupted on the topic of whether it is worth sorting the garbage, because everyone at least once witnessed how the disassembled recyclable materials ruthlessly dumped into the garbage truck with the general garbage.
I was categorical: worth it. It cannot be otherwise. For me, the marker is social networks, where opinion leaders constantly raise the topic of awareness of consumption and ecology. The consumer actively monitors whether cappuccino is poured into the thermomug brought by the guest in “his” coffee shop and what kind of plastic is used in the package. “Being eco-friendly” just sounds expensive, although honestly, biodegradable cocktail straws really aren't cheap.
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Otherwise, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to help the planet on behalf of business. For example, you can establish waste-free production. If we talk about restaurants, then many chefs have already figured out how to use stems from greens or cleaning from roots in their kitchens.
At Avocado Queen, avocado seeds and skins are collected and taken once a week to a young designer who uses them to dye the fabric.
Or, for example, in the Prime Star chain of coffee shops since 2015, together with the charitable organization "Fair Aid Dr. Lisa", there has been a food sharing aimed at combating unjustified disposal of products. More than 120 kg of food and drinks are supplied to charities from 10 cafes of the chain every day. And 59 coffee shops of the chain transfer used eco-dishes and waste for processing.
It is possible to show loyalty to business customers who have opted for eco-awareness. For example, our guests at the BRO & N restaurant are poured coffee with them with a 50% discount if a person comes with their own mug. The restaurant staff gave up on delivery bags and began tying twine around the pizza boxes - it even looks more stylish. And for the New Year, greeting cards made of recycled cardboard with seeds inside are waiting for regular guests. You can plant and grow a small plant like this.
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All of these steps help to win the loyalty of a discerning customer and play into the hands of the business from the PR side. But no PR will help if the rules are not followed within the company. In our office, for example, they save paper by means of double-sided printing and a collection point for "Kind Caps" is organized. Employees even began to bring plastic lids from home, and thus, in three years we have already handed over several thousand units of plastic for recycling.
Simple life hacks to help your business become a little more eco-friendly:
Sort trash. For those who are not satisfied with putting all the recyclable materials in one blue container, there are already many collection points for recyclable materials in Moscow (starting with "Sobirator") with a clear division by waste type and transparent recycling logistics.
Provide customers with an alternative. This is exactly what many grocery stores have done, adding reusable shopping bags for sale in addition to the bags.
Save water, electricity, paper. It's hard to advise giving preference to natural light in December, but use at least these few bright hours. Do not buy disposable water cups and, as I already wrote, print on paper on both sides (and more often think about whether to press the print button at all).
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