Environmental effect and sustainability of self-storage
The self storage market is getting more and more saturated, so companies will need to keep coming up with more alluring benefits to differentiate themselves from rivals. It is certain that building a facility with a focus on sustainability and ecologically friendly features attracts potential customers, especially as consumers become more conscious of their environmental consequences. There are simple yet very effective adjustments you can make to your storage business, regardless of how long you’ve been in the field, to increase sustainability and lessen environmental impact.
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1. Make Less, Use More, Recycle
This proverb is still relevant while managing a self-storage business. Try cutting back on the quantity of paper used in the office or switching to more energy-efficient lighting when it comes to decreasing. Instead of using a blank page for quick note-taking chores, try reusing paper for other uses. Make it obvious to your clients how their waste should be separated for recycling. If you want to go one step further, you can also have collection bins for clothing and other used items at your location. This allows your clients to donate their gently used clothing while also supporting the local community and demonstrating your company’s commitment to sustainability.
2. Eco-friendly design
Looking into your storage containers itself may offer a more comprehensive solution. It’s likely that there are several approaches to increase the sustainability and energy efficiency of long-running units. Consider working with a contractor that has earned accreditation from BREEAM (UK) or LEED (US) if you’re wanting to create a new unit or remodel an existing one. Green building certifications like LEED and BREEAM are intended to ensure that buildings are built with low-energy lighting and energy efficiency without sacrificing a state-of-the-art HVAC system. Additionally, they will utilize water-saving technologies, have better air quality, and, if feasible, build using sustainable materials. Additionally, buildings with these certifications are less expensive to run continuously, which means that your company may save expenses and lessen its adverse environmental effect while capitalizing the costs of the equipment and fitment over a longer period of time.
3. Taking care of the electrical
As previously said, installing energy-efficient lighting retrofits is a terrific method to lower your facility’s electricity usage. Taking a step back, even the simplest tasks, like ensuring sure lights and other appliances are off while not in use, may have a significant impact if done regularly. To take things a step further, think about installing motion-sensor-equipped bigger lights that will either dim or switch off entirely when there isn’t any activity. In the long run, installing sensor switches or LED lights may seem laborious, but they will be far less expensive to operate and maintain.
4. Photovoltaic modules
Since most self-storage facilities have large roofs, solar panels are a great fit for them. Due to the high return on investment and ability to power a large portion of their facility with renewable energy, many owners of storage facilities in sunny locations are opting to install solar panels. Similar to retrofitting lighting, solar panels may have a large upfront cost, but they are well worth it over time, especially because many governments provide incentives to companies that utilize solar energy. In addition to conserving electricity, you could even be able to sell any extra power you generate back into the grid when it’s not needed.
5. Improved wrapping
Waste from packaging is an inevitable part of operating a self-storage company. Large storage organizations such as Safestore have been emphasizing biodegradable and reusable packaging for a long time, and their ‘Box for Life’ program has received great feedback from its clients. When their cardboard boxes wear out, they may be replaced for free, making them recyclable again because they are already composed of recycled materials. If renting sustainable cardboard or bubble wrap is too costly, think about donating or selling used boxes that renters no longer use to nearby companies. This will help to cut down on packaging waste and the need for new packaging.
6. Eliminating paper
Finally, but just as importantly, moving toward providing more of your services online can drastically cut down on the amount of paper waste in your company. Using electronic signatures and storing office and customer papers online are simple ways to put this into practice. In any case, storing loose documents in a file cabinet is less secure and more difficult to utilize than cloud-based storage. It’s much simpler to switch to a paperless company model in this day and age, especially with software like Storeganise that allows you to plan and coordinate with your clients straight online without using paper.
Final thoughts and subsidies
These are all straightforward techniques to lessen the environmental effect of your company. Not only will these efforts benefit the environment and often lower your operating expenses, but you can also be eligible for government subsidies to pay a sizable portion of the initial expenditures. To find out whether you qualify for any government assistance, go online or speak with your accountants.