Understanding Your Company’s Carbon Footprint

If you recently acquired recycling bins in Atlanta for your business, then you’re probably interested in fostering a green business and reducing your environmental impact. Continue reading to learn about your company’s carbon footprint.

What is a carbon footprint?

A simple way to think of your company’s carbon footprint is the sum of everything it does that impacts climate change. In many cases, a carbon footprint is calculated by creating an estimate of the total CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions produced by your company’s operation. Once the numbers are added up, they are expressed as in what’s called a carbon dioxide equivalent, which represents how much CO2 would cause the same amount of warming.

How is a carbon footprint calculated?

To gain an understanding of where your company currently stands as far as its carbon footprint is concerned, you can hire an expert to come in and perform an assessment. To gather the information needed for calculating your business’s carbon footprint, the evaluator will add up as many emissions pathways as is feasible. Some examples of pathways include how much power is required to run your buildings each day, the amount of transportation needed for shipping products to or from your company, and the level of emissions generated by cooling or heating your business.

How can I reduce my company’s carbon footprint?

To make a dent in your company’s carbon footprint, start by having it calculated, so you know what areas to address. Also, setting up a recycling system is one of the simplest ways in which you can reduce your company’s negative impact on the environment. By placing metal, plastic, and cardboard recycling bins in your office or building, you can implement better waste management practices in a way that’s easy to use and maintain. A few other methods to consider are upgrading your company’s light bulbs to LEDs, encouraging working from home for employees, and getting your team in the habit of turning off electronics and lights when they aren’t in use.