We already know that big companies are responsible for more than one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the modern era, and we should make them accountable for that. But what role do small and medium businesses play in environmental degradation? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although it is difficult to asses their actual contribution to worldwide pollution, it is known that small and medium businesses do have a considerable impact on the environment<\/strong> in terms of waste, wastewater disposal, and energy efficiency. <\/strong>Small businesses make up the largest business sector in every economy in the world and produce the majority (up to 60%) of the world\u2019s economic output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than half of the people reading this article are entrepreneurs working their way into this planet. Small hotels and restaurants owners with a limited budget that are trying to increase their profits with a sense of environmental and social consciousness. But lack of knowledge of their actual impact and constrained resources are challenges they face in their path towards sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what exactly does sustainability mean for the restaurant and hotel industry? Imagine a restaurant that runs on 100 percent renewable energy, recycles and composts their waste, supports and helps grow local farms, and carries a plastic-free operation; or a hotel that implements chemical free fumigation, offers their guests reusable bags for their groceries, and manages their wastewater appropriately.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With the emergence of three interrelated and interconnected trends that include a decline of the planet\u2019s natural resources, an increased demand for transparency and increasing consumer expectations, implementing sustainable practices isn\u2019t just a good opportunity for restaurants or hotels, but it will be imperative for the long-term health and success of the industries. It\u2019s a win-win for the planet and the business.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not everything is big oil companies and enterprises. Sadly, restaurants, bars, and cafes contribute to our growing climate crisis\u2014often in more ways than we realise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bottled water, wrappers, straws, coffee cups, cutlery, and a lot of cling film are just some of the single-use plastics you\u2019ll find in most restaurant kitchens. Studies show that 56% of packaging and other non-food waste that is thrown away could have been recycled. But what if there was no plastic in the kitchen in the first place? <\/p>\n\n\n\n We know that solutions start by understanding which are the main problems our health and the health of the planet are facing and realizing how each of our actions add to the issues. The step that follows is making the changes that actually solve them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We strongly believe that small and medium sized enterprises are at the forefront of saving the environment, that is why we created the Ocean Friendly Business project to guide them through their way towards sustainability. <\/strong>If you have a business and you are interested in doing your part for ocean health, please contact us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n …<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bfCu\u00e1l es el rol de los peque\u00f1os negocios en la degradaci\u00f3n ambiental?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ya es bien sabido que las grandes empresas son responsables de m\u00e1s de un tercio de todas las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero en la era moderna y es algo que no debemos invisibilizar. Sin embargo, \u00bfqu\u00e9 papel juegan las peque\u00f1as y medianas empresas en la degradaci\u00f3n ambiental?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aunque es dif\u00edcil evaluar su contribuci\u00f3n real a la contaminaci\u00f3n mundial, se sabe que las peque\u00f1as y medianas empresas tienen un impacto considerable en el medio ambiente en t\u00e9rminos de residuos, descargas de aguas residuales y eficiencia energ\u00e9tica.<\/strong> Las peque\u00f1as empresas constituyen el sector empresarial m\u00e1s grande de todas las econom\u00edas del mundo y producen la mayor parte (hasta el 60%) de la producci\u00f3n econ\u00f3mica mundial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n M\u00e1s de la mitad de las personas que est\u00e1n leyendo este art\u00edculo son emprendedores que se est\u00e1n abriendo camino en este planeta, propietarios de peque\u00f1os hoteles y restaurantes con un presupuesto limitado que buscan incrementar sus ganancias con un sentido de conciencia ambiental y social. La falta de conocimiento de su impacto real en el medio ambiente y los recursos limitados son dos grandes desaf\u00edos que enfrentan en su camino hacia la sostenibilidad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pero, \u00bfqu\u00e9 significa exactamente la sostenibilidad para la industria hotelera y de restaurantes? Imag\u00ednese un restaurante que funciona con energ\u00eda 100% renovable, recicla y composta sus desechos, apoya y ayuda a cultivar granjas locales y no consume ni vende pl\u00e1stico de un solo uso; o un hotel que realice fumigaciones libres de qu\u00edmicos, ofrezca a sus hu\u00e9spedes bolsas reutilizables para sus compras y realice una adecuada gesti\u00f3n de las aguas residuales.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Con el surgimiento de tres tendencias interrelacionadas e interconectadas que incluyen una disminuci\u00f3n de los recursos naturales del planeta, una mayor demanda de transparencia y mayores expectativas de los consumidores, implementar pr\u00e1cticas sostenibles no es solo una buena oportunidad para restaurantes u hoteles, sino que ser\u00e1 imperativo para la salud a largo plazo y el \u00e9xito de estas industrias. Es beneficioso tanto para el planeta como para la empresa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n No todo son grandes compa\u00f1\u00edas y empresas petroleras. Lamentablemente, los restaurantes, bares y caf\u00e9s contribuyen a nuestra creciente crisis clim\u00e1tica, a menudo en m\u00e1s formas de las que creemos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Agua embotellada, envoltorios, pajillas, tazas de caf\u00e9, cubiertos y una gran cantidad de film adhesivo son solo algunos de los pl\u00e1sticos de un solo uso que encontramos en la mayor\u00eda de las cocinas de los restaurantes. Seg\u00fan los estudios, el 56% de los envases y otros residuos no alimentarios que se tiran podr\u00edan haberse reciclado. Pero, \u00bfy si no hubiera pl\u00e1stico en la cocina en primer lugar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sabemos que las soluciones comienzan por comprender cu\u00e1les son los principales problemas a los que se enfrenta nuestra salud y la salud del planeta y aceptar c\u00f3mo cada uno de nuestras acciones acrecientan esos problemas. El paso que sigue es realizar los cambios que realmente los resuelvan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creemos firmemente que las peque\u00f1as y medianas empresas est\u00e1n a la vanguardia en salvar el medio ambiente, por eso creamos el proyecto Ocean Friendly Business para guiarlas en su camino hacia la sostenibilidad<\/strong>. Si usted tiene un negocio y est\u00e1 interesado en hacer su parte para la salud del oc\u00e9ano, \u00a1cont\u00e1ctenos!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We already know that big companies are responsible for more than one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the modern era, and we should make them accountable for that. But what role do small and medium businesses play in environmental degradation? Although it is difficult to asses their actual contribution to worldwide pollution, it is… <\/p>\n