Seven practical ways to run a greener business in 2026

Earth Day falls on 22 April, and this year’s theme is Our power, our planet.

That might sound like something for governments and global organisations to worry about. But in reality, businesses make thousands of small decisions every day that shape their environmental impact.

You don’t need a grand sustainability strategy to start making a difference. In many cases, the best changes are the simple ones – those that cut waste, lower energy use, and make everyday operations a bit more efficient.

And the bonus is that lots of these changes actually make good business sense too.

Here are seven practical ways to make your business more environmentally friendly.

1. Start with wasted energy

A lot of unnecessary energy use isn’t dramatic. It’s the lights left on in empty rooms, devices running overnight, heating turned up when no one’s around, or old settings that nobody’s thought about in years.

That all makes energy one of the easiest places to start. Use LED lighting if you’re not already. Set computers, monitors and printers to sleep when idle. And review heating and cooling times so they match how your business actually works.

Over time, the benefits of these small fixes can really add up. Lower energy use is good for the planet, and it’s not bad for the electricity bill either.

2. Travel when it matters, not by default

Business travel has its place. But plenty of journeys happen simply because that’s how things have always been done.

If Covid taught us one thing, it’s that plenty of in-person stuff can work just as well remotely – from meetings and catchups to collaboration that once felt tied to the office.

Can site visits be grouped together? Does everyone need to be in for this meeting? You get the picture.

Cutting unnecessary travel reduces emissions, saves time and often helps people enjoy a more productive day.

3. Keep equipment for longer

Replacing things too quickly creates waste and is expensive. In many businesses, laptops, monitors, phones and office furniture are retired before they really need to be.

A greener approach is often a more sensible one. And if a device has outlived its use to your business, that doesn’t mean it’s useless. There are plenty of charities and educational organisations that would absolutely love the gift of some second-hand tech.

4. Cut paper, packaging and everyday waste

Most businesses still produce more waste than they realise. It might be printed documents that could have stayed digital, over-ordering supplies, single-use kitchen items, or packaging that goes straight in the bin.

You don’t have to eliminate everything overnight. But there will be obvious things you can start with. Like printing only when there’s a genuine reason or reviewing how many supplies you need to order.

Here’s a little secret: a lot of sustainable change is really just waste reduction with better branding.

5. Make your tech work harder

Technology can help reduce environmental impact, but only if it is used well.

Take backup and cloud services for example. Does all data need to be always available in a live service, or can you use long-term archive storage instead? And what about cloud services? If you’re using the cloud, make sure you’re not using more than you need (that’s just good for costs as resource use).

Used properly, digital tools can also cut paper use, reduce travel and support more flexible working.

6. Choose suppliers with care

Your environmental impact isn’t just shaped by what happens inside your own business. Have you ever considered the businesses you buy from too?

That doesn’t mean every supplier needs to be perfect. But it’s worth asking sensible questions. Do they have clear environmental commitments? Are they trying to reduce waste and energy use? Do they help you make better choices, or just sell you more stuff?

Choosing responsible suppliers can improve your own sustainability footprint without creating lots of extra work. It also sends a clear message about the kind of business you want to be.

7. Make it easy for people to do the right thing

Most employees aren’t against more sustainable ways of working. But they do often need your strategy to be clear, practical and easy to follow.

That could mean labelled recycling points, shared guidance on printing less, simple reminders to switch equipment off, or support for remote working or lower impact commuting where it’s realistic.

You could even get your people involved, asking them where they see waste in their everyday work. They’ll often be aware of things you don’t even see.

Helping the environment and your business at the same time

Earth Day is a useful prompt, but the real value comes in what happens after it. For most businesses, becoming more environmentally friendly is about making better decisions every day.

When you start with the changes that are easy to control – cutting waste where you find it, using energy, travel and technology more efficiently – the small steps quickly add up.