6 Reasons to Have a Sustainable Business

 

All businesses, large or small, can benefit from being environmentally sustainable. The following benefits include:

 

1) Lower Operating Costs

Investing in sustainable practices can reduce your expenses. For example, solar panels lower utility rates, using energy efficient LED light bulbs produces long-term energy savings, and recycling water lowers our total resource consumption.

 

 

 

2) Adhere to Government Regulations

Federal, state, and local governments enact regulations that protect the environment. Companies do not only have to be compliant, but they must continuously be aware of changing regulations. Maintaining an environmentally sustainable business beforehand will help ensure that your company is able to meet changing regulations in a timely manner.

 

For example, the Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing drinking water contaminants, including lead, copper, chromium, and perchlorate. Staying up-to-date on developing regulations is important for supporting your environmental efforts.

 

3) Improve Public Relations

Sustainability is important to consumers, and 75 percent of consumers take it into account when making purchases. Sharing your company’s sustainability efforts lets consumers know about your efforts, which can increase your customer base.

 

4) Increase Number of Job Applicants

Many job seekers today look to work for sustainable companies. Sustainable business practices often imply that if a “company genuinely cares about the well being of the greater society,” then it more than likely treats its employees similarly. Job seekers are drawn to businesses that care; therefore, a company increases its chance of attracting competitive employees.

 

5) Preserve Brand Loyalty

When companies have established themselves as environmentally responsible, it gives customers more confidence in a company and its products. Although, if a company is deemed as environmentally negligent, it’s a lot harder for it to redeem itself once consumers have made up their minds.

 

6) Gain Industry Influence

Being environmentally sustainable does not only enhance your own brand image, but it also gives you a competitive advantage. A business that “values sustainability has a strong opportunity to influence the business operations and become a leader in their industry.”

 

“We always want to make decisions that are long term,” Colin Wetlaufer, CITY President, said. “We have been a business and an employer in Oelwein for over 112 years, and our recent investment into solar panels are warrantied to last another couple of decades. We are going to continue to be here for the long haul, and we are working on the next 100 years.”

 

At CITY, we manage an environmentally conscious program to ensure long-term sustainability. We take corporate sustainability seriously by lowering our carbon footprint and increasing our energy independence. Our sustainability efforts focus on resource conservation in three key areas.

 

Water Conservation

Our investment in the Norchem water filtration system recycles 70% of our water. CITY saves roughly 665,000 gallons of water each month

 

Energy Conservation

Our 44,000-pound solar energy roof mount is the largest in the state of Iowa saving over 1.5 million kilowatt-hours. The system offsets over 14 million pounds of CO2 gas.

 

Electric Conservation

Our facility’s LED lighting system saves over 45,000 kilowatt-hours and reduces 57,991 pounds of CO2 annually.

 

 

Our Environmental Impact over the next 25 years –

 

1595 acres of trees planted

1520 passenger vehicles off the road

7,127,712 pounds of coal

199,500,000 gallons of water recycled