Results

Recycling helps.

Plastic production has more than doubled in the last two decades and about half a percent of it ends up in the ocean. In New Zealand it’s equivalent to about 100 grams per person every year.*  The Kantar New Zealand Food Waste Survey in 2023 reported that we waste 100,000 tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

We can all help to improve these alarming statistics and play our part in helping New Zealand achieve its goal to be a low emission, low waste society built on a circular economy by 2050.

Recycling programmes help to reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimise the environmental impact of discarded materials. Programmes vary depending on your location and the initiatives established by your council.  

Review the resources below to make a start to recycle and reduce waste.

* ourworldindata.org  

By opting for environmentally friendly products, your business can align with sustainable values, reduce its impact on the environment, and be seen positively in the marketplace.  

Designing your products and processes with sustainability in mind, can also help improve profits.

Even minimising paper usage by digitizing documents and processes can have numerous benefits for efficiency, organisation, and sustainability.

Think about each stage your product or service goes through.

• Are raw materials from renewable sources?
• Are raw materials produced by ethical labour?
• What is the carbon footprint on the freight systems used?
• Are you using renewable energy sources?
• Is your equipment operating efficiently?
• Is packaging recyclable or bio-degradable?
• What emissions are created during production?

Consider joining The Sustainable Business Network. They have plenty of resources and regular workshops to help you become more environmentally conscious as a business.

Review the resources below to become more environmentally friendly.

Start by getting an estimate on your emissions. Calculate your emissions and set a baseline for future measurements with the Climate Action Toolbox on business.govt.nz then use the tool to identify where you can make improvements.

The tool will ask you to set a target so you can track your progress over time. Set clear reduction targets and regularly audit progress. Make sure it’s team effort by engaging employees in your plans. 

If you’re unable to reduce emissions as much as planned, you could explore purchasing carbon offset credits.

Review the resources below to help reduce your gas emissions. 

Using virtual meetings instead of unnecessary business travel can result in cost savings, improved productivity, and a smaller environmental footprint.

These days there are plenty of options to stay connected virtually like: Microsoft Teams, Slack and Zoom and they are getting smarter all the time.

It’s well researched that it takes some time for employees to get back on task after a meeting so make sure you need to actually have that meeting and that the people invited are necessary.

When face-to-face meetings and attending events like conferences are essential to your business, choose sustainable options. If traveling internationally you can often offset your flight emissions or choose more efficient transport such as trains instead of planes. 

You may not be able to directly control the emissions caused by freighting your goods from your suppliers and to your customers but you can make small changes such as:

• Ordering in bulk.
• Choosing surface transport over air freight.
• Warehousing goods closer to their destination. 
• Encouraging customers to buy in multiples.
• Choosing a freight company that is making an effort to be sustainable.

Review the resources below to make a start to reduce your emissions.

Encouraging employees to use eco-friendly transportation options like public transport, biking, and carpooling can have a positive impact on the environment, reduce traffic congestion, and promote a healthier lifestyle.

For employees who wish to bike to work, you could help them with the purchase cost of an e-Bike by signing up to the government backed e-bike purchase support scheme or help them co-ordinate using a ride share service like coseats.co.nz. Public transport options vary throughout the country but there is a nation wide move towards integrated ticketing. Consider offering subsidised public transport to your employees (e.g. purchase some prepaid Smartcards for employees’ use.)

Incentivising walking or cycling can have a positive health impact on employees too. This could be encouraged with education or in-house competitions for example. 

If you need more ideas on how to encourage cycling check out the New Zealand Transport Agency Workplace Cycling Guide.

Review the resources below to make a start using eco-friendly transport.

Fostering work-life balance is shown to boost employee morale, commitment, productivity and reduces costs associated with turnover and absenteeism.

Being an ’employer of choice’ through supportive workplace cultures not only attracts talent but also fosters positive community perceptions. Employees benefit from better management of personal and professional responsibilities, facilitated by flexible work arrangements that accommodate diverse needs. 

Review the resources below to make a start promoting employee work-life balance.

There may be a number of laws you need to know about to keep your business compliant for any economic, social and environmental (ESE) impacts caused by your business.

The primary legislation in New Zealand that promotes the sustainable management of New Zealand’s natural and physical resources is the Resource Management Act. It’s the responsibility of businesses to ensure that they are compliant with the Act and don’t engage in business activities and development that could damage our natural environment. For example, air pollution, non-compliant structures, unfiltered wastewater and ground contamination.

We also have laws governing employment conditions, minimum wages and other employment factors such as living conditions for live-on-site workers.

Any company director in New Zealand has legal responsibilities to their shareholders and their company including to trade sensibly and submitting all the necessary returns and financial statements. 

You can work out the laws that apply to your business using the Compliance matters Tool as a starting point.

Review the resources below to help become compliant with ESE impacts.

It’s crucial to think through your approach towards sustainability as it impacts your business’s longevity and reputation. Start by conducting an assessment of your environmental impact and identify areas for improvement. Set clear sustainability goals and integrate them into your business strategy, ensuring they align with your values and resonate with your stakeholders. 

Embrace innovation in eco-friendly practices and products to stay ahead in a changing market. 

Engage with sustainability experts and collaborate with like-minded partners to access knowledge and resources (for example, think about joining organisations like The Sustainable Business Network). 

There are numerous information sources in New Zealand that can help you in your planning like Environmental Indicators and Data for business on stats.govt.nz or NZTE’s guide, Using Sustainable Development Goals in your sustainability strategy.

Review the resources below to make a start using eco-friendly transport.