The COVID-19 pandemic will change our lives and lifestyles for many years to come. It has been a tough and unsettling time for everyone, especially independent and small businesses. With the second wave approaching, many businesses will need to adapt their ways and policies further, in order to remain open and protect their customers and employees. Unfortunately, many of the ways we can protect ourselves and others from the virus will damage the environment in return. However, as a business owner, there are ways that you can protect your business in a more environmentally friendly way.

Install Wipeable Germ Barriers

One of the best ways to protect customers and employees from spreading COVID-19 is to install wipeable germ barriers, like Sneeze GuardEZ, throughout your business. These will be particularly effective around the till area, as they will protect customers and employees from coming into contact with each other. Regularly wiping these germ barriers down with disinfectant will remove any viruses that settle on them.

Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

During this pandemic, it is a smart idea to stock up on cleaning products that will kill the coronavirus. Natural, eco-friendly products will release fewer chemicals and reduce irritation amongst your workers and customers. If they get into the waterways or soil, then they won’t upset the natural balance. They are more efficient and will do less damage to your property, which will save your business money in return.

Provide Refillable Hand Soaps

Keeping our hands clean will reduce spreading the virus, so you should offer your customers and staff plenty of hand cleaning opportunities. This can be in the form of hand soaps in the bathrooms or hand sanitizers placed around the store. These products will be used often and will run out, so to reduce your plastic waste, you should consider using refillable, and ideally organic and/or eco-friendly, hand soaps and sanitizers. 

Equip Staff with Biodegradable PPE

Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be available to your employees at all times. The more you provide, the safer your customers and staff will be. Unfortunately, most of the PPE we use is made out of harmful single-use plastics. Instead, you should look for biodegradable PPE in the form of gloves and face and clothing coverings. You should encourage your staff to wear reusable and washable face masks too.

Encourage Social Distancing Guidelines

We all know that keeping your distance from others will reduce the risk of you catching COVID-19. This is also an environmentally friendly way to protect your employees and customers. Putting less employees on the staff roster, and limiting the number of customers who can come into the building will help to decrease the spread of the virus. You should also place social distancing rules around the store and on the floor.

Whether your business is big or small, making these changes will reduce the impact your business has on the environment. In return, this could improve your reputation and increase sales, while educating your staff and customers too.