Founder of The Used Kitchen Company Looeeze Grossman explains how kbb retailers can make their business more environmentally conscious and profitable

Some who think ‘going green’ is just another trend or marketing ploy, may need to revaluate.

Consumers are becoming much savvier of their actions and the overall impact their purchasing decisions have on communities.

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Shoppers are becoming more environmentally conscious in all ways of life, so retailers need to be stepping up to the mark when it comes to meeting these needs.

Through sustainable practices and actions, retailers can be more efficient, saving themselves money as a result.

If each retailer takes on board at least one sustainable practice, it can make a huge difference overall.

Develop a Plan

If you’ve decided you want to be more sustainable, the next step is knowing where to start.

Usually if you contact your local utility company and request an energy audit, they’ll recommend ways you can cut down costs, free of charge.

Use these recommendations as a basis to start with and go through each area of your space and see which processes can be changed and how.

This will give you a clear plan of action that will be easy to implement and explain to staff too.

It’s worth looking at timers for light and eco efficient bulbs.

While we all want our window displays to be visible to passers by, especially when we’re on a high street, having the lights turned off at a certain point can save on energy and help protect the environment.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Recycle absolutely everything and anything that you can possibly think of.

Thanks to The Used Kitchen Company, you can recycle ex-display kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and living rooms, even from exhibitions like kbb Birmingham.

It not only helps you to reduce waste, but even makes you a profit on something you’d have previously thrown away for free!

It may be obvious but reuse packing materials and cardboard boxes where possible.

Consumers can often be steered away from products with non-recyclable packaging and are becoming savvier and keener to see recycling instructions on packaging.

By using sustainable packaging, it’s yet another great way to promote your businesses commitment to sustainability.

COVID has forced many companies to go digital, but it doesn’t just stop there.

Aim to reduce paper transactions as much as possible for example with, bill payments, invoices, orders, online banking, day-to-day communication etc. the list goes on!

With hygiene being more important now than ever, try to use eco-friendly cleaning products that are biodegradable and non-toxic in your retail space.

Kitchen Passports

Defra’s ‘Resources & Waste Strategy’ of December 2018, stated product passports would have a significant role to play in the UK achieving its waste reduction targets by 2050.

The Kitchen Passport asks kitchen owners and retailers to take responsibility, by using the website www.mykitchenpassport.com to keep a record of your kitchen from where and when it was bought, to what units and worktops are made from, to appliances and their model numbers.

Then owners will have everything they need to pass a kitchen on, when they no longer want it, transferring the digital passport into the new owner’s name.

Not only is this a great way for homeowners and retailers to promote sustainability, but it’s also free to use and helps streamline the purchasing process for customers, a win-win!

Sustainable marketing

Once you’ve started implementing sustainable practices, make sure you’re shouting about it!

Announce your new initiative to customers, staff and even suppliers.

Let them know your store is committed to making responsible choices for the good of the planet.

Also make sure you’re sharing the new initiatives with your staff.

Ask for input and encourage employees to share their own green ideas, for which you could offer incentives.

If an employee is walking, biking or using other environmentally friendly methods to get to work, for example, then reward them for sustainable behaviour.

Every small sustainable step retailers can make, no matter how big or small, can make a huge impact on the environment and should be a key consideration for retailers moving forward.