Being Green in Business

Over recent years the management team of Burton-upon-Trent-based digital media group AI Global Media have been highly focused on making their business practices more sustainable.

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honours the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Today, Earth day has been observed for 53 years!

With this in mind, the team have considered how they can further develop into a greener and more environmentally conscious business. 

In this article some ideas are shared on what businesses can do to support the global efforts towards sustainability and to do their bit by making small changes in the way they do business.

Top Tips for Creating an Eco-Friendly Working Environment:

1. Reduce paper waste

Encourage team members to share information digitally rather than opting to print. Ensure your set up supports this with screens to display presentations in meetings, provide a system that holds and manages HR documents digitally and securely and proactively encourage a paperless environment.

2. Save energy where possible

Switch to LED lighting, turn off lights and IT equipment when not in use and offer home working where appropriate.

3. Recycle!

A lot of recyclable business waste ends up in landfill. Do your bit and make steps to recycle where possible. This is likely to mean paying for regular collections from a third-party provider however many are cost-effective and you will likely find a firm locally.

4. Use eco-friendly products

Consider product packaging, your cleaning products, office supplies, purchasing locally etc.

5. Make it fun

Consider a ‘Go Greener Competition’ with a prize for the department or team who has made the biggest impact over a given period.

Kathryn Hall, director of AI Global Media comments, “At AI Global Media we are passionately invested in reducing our carbon footprint and are always looking for ways to further support this initiative. Our environmental impact educates our business decisions each week. Many of our stakeholders are more conscious than ever of the negative impact a business may have on the environment, AI Global Media’s board and senior management team take this very seriously and strive to be as green as we can whilst not negatively impacting on our service.”

Some of the ways in which AI Global Media is supporting a greener working environment:

With hybrid working – team members have the chance to work from home 2 days a week, saving them fuel to get in the office, and having fewer people in the office means less energy used.

All lights are on timers – throughout the office, all lights are on timers, and if no activity is detected, the lights will go off.

Recycling – the business pays to have a recycling waste collection every 2 weeks. Team members are encouraged to recycle their waste, signs are displayed detailing which items can be recycled and where to dispose of them.

The business has invested in eco-friendly trophy packaging – A change has been made from jiffy bags and regular pellets and parcel tape to cardboard boxes, biodegradable pellets, and recyclable parcel tape.

Other initiatives that have been discussed by the team includes creating a sustainability committee within the workforce to drive the green initiative forward, harnessing and re-using some of the energy created to cool our server room, trialling paperless notebooks and switching to eco-friendly cleaning products.

Good luck to other businesses embarking on their journey to be greener. #AIgoesgreen

About AI Global Media

Since 2010 AI Global Media has been committed to creating engaging B2B content that informs readers and allows them to market their business to a global audience.

Today, the group boasts 14 unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience. The flagship brand, Acquisition International, distributes a monthly digital magazine to a global circulation of 85,000, who are treated to a range of features and news pieces on the latest developments in the global corporate market.

Alongside this, is the luxury-lifestyle magazine, LUXlife, which appeals to a range of high-net-worth individuals, offering them insight into the latest products, experiences, and innovations to ensure they can live the high-life to its fullest. Global Health & Pharma focuses on the medical and pharmaceutical industry, whilst BUILD publishes the latest features on construction, architecture, property, and interior design. Many of our other brands have a regional focus, including APAC Insider, MEA Markets and New World Report.