Companies are increasingly aware of the environment due to the alarming data on pollution and destruction of the planet’s natural resources that have been published in recent years. Achieving an ecological company not only requires reducing printing costs or investing in more efficient technology, but also involving all workers in the responsible use of resources.
Pollution occurs through many different sources and affects the environment as well as people and our health. For this reason, from world organizations in defense of the environment, they warn of the urgent need to take measures in all areas to reduce the use and discharge of dangerous pollutants.
Many of these substances or habits that we have, both at work and at home, are harmful to the environment and also to health, without us being aware of it, in most cases.
For example, a dripping faucet, with one drop per second, can waste 30 liters of water per day. Another worrying fact is that the decomposition of a plastic bag can take between 15 and a thousand years or that a single liter of oil can contaminate up to a thousand of water.
We have data that is so worrying that more than a quarter of the deaths of children under five in the world are a direct consequence of environmental pollution, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Another alarming figure, according to reports from the European Commission, is that each year more than 400,000 people die prematurely as a result of the poor quality of the air they breathe.
Heart attacks, chronic respiratory diseases, strokes, lung cancer… are some of the consequences related to air pollution that is produced due to the improper use of certain substances by industries and homes.
In Europe, more than one in four cities exceed the legal limits for nitrogen dioxide. In the case of Spain, large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona are the ones with the highest rates, so measures are already being implemented to reduce these levels.
However, the fact of implementing measures that involve a reduction in environmental impact as well as energy savings supposes an investment that companies must face and that not all of them are willing to do.
Industries account for an important part of pollution data worldwide, so awareness, although it must start in homes, must be transferred to companies.
An ecological company requires, first of all, a study and planning of the impact that its actions and activities have on the environment. Based on this analysis, you must implement practices that help reduce this environmental impact.
Many times, the need to make an investment in studies as well as in programs or efficient technology pushes back some companies that are unaware that over time, they will be more profitable.
In addition to profitability in the medium and long term, another advantage of being an ecological company is that they are better accepted by consumers. A clear example of this is the agricultural companies, whose products, free of additives, fertilizers or insecticides, are increasingly in demand and are considered to be of higher quality despite being more expensive.
A better consumption of resources is another of the benefits of reducing the polluting processes in the company that consume a lot of energy, since in the long run, they represent considerable savings and therefore an increase in the profitability of the company.
The noise produced by some devices in the office or the excessive use of air conditioning, the printer, the fax… supposes stress and annoys the workers. Therefore, green companies have more focused and productive staff.
These are some of the advantages of becoming an ecological company, in addition, of course, to contributing to the improvement of the environment.