As businesses look to cut back on the cost of their utilities and further their sustainability efforts, saving water has emerged as a popular way to kill two birds with the same stone.
Indeed, most business owners are cottoning on to the fact that cutting back on water consumption can offer a range of benefits. However, in some cases, the tricky part is convincing their staff to follow these practices, who might wonder what all the fuss is about.
In this post we discuss the various ways you can encourage your staff to get on board with your efforts to reduce consumption of this vital resource, and we’ll also explain the benefits of implementing a water-saving culture in the workplace.
Cost Savings
As a business owner, obviously you’re keen to reduce outgoing to improve your bottom line. By reducing water consumption, proprietors can do just that by significantly cutting down their utility bills.
As well as ensuring you’re cutting back on unnecessary utility costs, this will free up valuable resources that can be redirected to other critical aspects of the business, providing dual benefits.
Environmental Responsibility
Every litre of water you save is one less litre that needs to be taken from natural sources, contributing to environmental sustainability. Embracing water-saving practices demonstrates a company’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact and preserving valuable natural resources.
Reduces Carbon Footprint
When most people hear the words “reduce your carbon footprint” they immediately think of energy conservation. However, saving water can also play a surprisingly big role in reducing carbon.
This is due to the considerable amount of energy that’s required for water treatment and distribution, so if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint then water use is an area you should keep in mind.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to a company’s commitment to ethical and responsible business including environmental concerns. CSR is a growing concern for businesses as consumers are taking a greater interest in companies that demonstrate their commitments to these initiatives
Reducing your water usage is one way to enhance your CSR, giving your reputation a boost and fostering loyalty among your customers who are keen to give their business to companies whose values align with their own.
Contributes To Net Zero Target
As the UK strives to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, saving water is one of the many tactics we can implement to help us reach this target.
Most people grossly underestimate the amount of energy needed to treat and distribute water, but getting water through the pipes and into your tap takes 0.149 kg of CO2e per cubic metre. The removal of wastewater uses even more at 0.272 kg.
So by reducing the amount of water we use, and even more importantly minimising the amount of wastewater we produce, this can have a profound impact on the country’s net-zero efforts.
Encourages Employees To Adopt Sustainable Practices
By adopting sustainable practices in the workplace, this encourages your staff to follow the same principles while they’re at home, too, and hopefully they’ll pass this onto their family.
The spreading of the sustainability message is crucial, as achieving net zero will need to be a collective effort we all need to contribute towards. So the more people we can encourage to adopt eco-friendly behaviour the better!
But how do you go about encouraging your staff to take water-saving seriously? Let’s find out…
Ways To Create Water-Saving Culture
So now we know the importance of instilling the importance of water conservation, it’s time for the million dollar question: how do you go about achieving it? Luckily we’ve got some useful tips to encourage staff to use less water.
Communicate Goals And Reasons
The first step to getting your staff on board is communicating the goals of your water-saving efforts, as well as explaining the reasons behind your decision to implement these measures.
Where possible, try to include your employees in the decision-making and be sure to share regular updates on your progress.
Lead By Example
When you’re trying to convince someone to change their behaviour, the fastest way to kill their enthusiasm is by failing to follow your own rules. So to encourage your staff to implement these changes, lead by example by strictly following water-saving practices yourself.
Host Training Days
Sustainability can be a fast-moving topic, so it pays to stay on top of the current trends and keep your staff updated with the current goings on. Regularly reinforcing the importance of water conservation can also keep them engaged in the process.
Do this with regular training sessions to educate your staff on the significance of water conservation. Continually remind them of the environmental, financial and societal benefits of saving water both to keep them enthused.
Provide Volunteering Opportunities
Engage your staff in water conservation beyond the workplace. Encourage them to participate in community-based initiatives such as river clean-ups, water-saving workshops, or local conservation projects. Volunteering fosters a sense of pride in contributing to the greater good.
Share Savings With Staff
Who doesn’t love a nice little bonus in their pay package at the end of the month? So if there’s one way you can encourage your staff to take something seriously it’s with a financial incentive!
If you anticipate substantial savings, consider offering a portion of the cost savings to your employees. This financial reward will motivate staff to actively engage in water-saving practices and it’ll show you’re serious about trying to reduce your consumption of this vital resource.
So that’s how to encourage your staff to follow your lead with your water saving efforts, which should help you reduce your eco footprint and bring down costs. Another way to bring down the cost is to switch business water supplier to a cheaper provider.
At SwiftSwitch, we’re well versed in the water industry and we possess an in-depth knowledge of water suppliers, regulations and the best ways to reduce consumption.
So if you’re keen to discuss your options and browse the market for some good deals, speak to us today and we’d be happy to get the ball rolling for you and help you switch business water supplier.
