Are Sustainable Businesses Better for Their Communities?

There are endless benefits to eco-friendly companies. They reduce waste, save energy and raise awareness. These practices help create a healthier planet — but do communities themselves experience advantages? Businesses need to support and sustain the places where they’re located.

Here’s a look at how sustainable businesses improve their neighborhoods.

They Provide and Increase Local Jobs

If you operate a small company, you don’t have employees throughout the country or the world. Instead, you employ people who live nearby. It’s an awesome feeling to be able to provide work for local individuals and families. That’s crucial to keep small communities alive, as well.

Don’t all small businesses create jobs, though? Yes, but you can actually link sustainability to employment. It turns out that over half of millennials consider a workplace’s environmental values before they apply for a position. Therefore, you could compare two similar businesses — and whichever prioritized sustainable practices would likely attract more employees.

It doesn’t take long to make the connection between job growth and eco-friendly goals.

They Offer Social Experiences

These businesses can supply many opportunities for social outreach. If you own a zero-waste coffee shop, you have a space where people can gather to support sustainability. You can also do this when you work from an office. If you sponsor a local event, you get to promote your green initiatives while community members have a chance to meet one another.

Did you know many Americans don’t know their neighbors personally? In fact, nearly 25% of adults under 30 have never met them. It’s important to foster connections between community members so you can build a better place to live. Consumers want to buy more green products and services — and you have the power to bring them together.

They Promote Sustainable Action

There’s no denying that sustainable businesses help make being eco-friendly more popular. If you serve takeout using biodegradable containers, you promote a meaningful corporate social responsibility to reduce waste. That’s crucial as our world’s environmental problems become increasingly concerning.

Those who own sustainable businesses have enough authority to make real change and lead by example. This process happens through word-of-mouth, where employees take their knowledge home to their families. They are then more inclined to lead eco-friendly lifestyles.

Businesses can also raise awareness that reaches people who aren’t affiliated with them. For example, you might put money toward a community garden that everyone can use. There are endless possibilities for companies to help communities be more sustainable.

They Drive Economic Health

If you consider how local companies operate, you can quickly see how they boost economies. That’s true even on a national scale when you remember that small businesses generate 44% of economic activity across the U.S. This has become significant for sustainable companies, too.

Consider how an eco-friendly sandwich shop might operate. These businesses usually source products from local suppliers. Therefore, your seemingly simple $5 sandwich goes to support farms, manufacturers and other companies owned by people you might even know.

Businesses with green goals are more likely to reciprocate. This cash circulates throughout the local economy to support multiple people. If you gave that money to a more prominent chain sandwich shop, you wouldn’t be able to support sustainable initiatives — or your own local economy.

Eco-Friendly Companies Bring About Positive Change

It’s easy to see how sustainable businesses provide benefits for the planet and their communities. It’s natural for companies with green missions to give back and support the community they are located in. As a result, you can see many positive local changes.

Author Bio:

Jane works as the founder and editor-in-chief of Environment.co where she covers environmental news and sustainable living tips.