Reducing Industrial Pollution: Shifting to Sustainable Business

Reducing Industrial Pollution: Shifting to Sustainable Business

The effects of pollution are one of the pressing problems that the world is facing. The increasing level of wastes and pollutants has had serious effects on the environment, wildlife, biodiversity, and even people’s lives. It can no longer be denied the seriousness and the gravity of this predicament to the world. Understanding the causes and the effects of these is essential in drawing up actions to fight for a better world to live in.

One of the top contributors to this environmental catastrophe is industrial pollution—any pollution that originated or traced from any industry. Since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the increase of industrial pollution has been exponential. Factories and other industries running on coal and fossil fuels are the main sources of pollutants and wastes.

Not only that, from the 20th century to the 21st century, there had been a steady increase in the emission of greenhouse gasses which continues to warm the Earth (global warming). This snowballed to the rapid melting of polar ice caps, increasing sea levels, and more violent storms and hurricanes.

The damages and the challenges that these issues pose cannot be understated. Continuing with current practices in the industry without considering the effects on the environment will have dire consequences.

Shifting to a Sustainable Business Model

solar energy

With today’s environmental concerns brought about by industrial activities, finding a compromise that benefits the environment moving forward at the same time will not risk the businesses. As such, it is of importance for the industry to shift into a sustainable model. This is now a necessity.

What will a sustainable business model achieve? To its core, sustainability aims to reduce, if not eliminate, the effects of industrial pollution. Finding alternative and innovative ways to make sure that the business follows an ethical means of production and not just treating the environment as an unlimited source of resources.

Moving towards a more sustainable model requires innovation. Cast out the old ways and create new norms and practices. For example, searching for alternative energy sources. Most industries generally use fossil fuels as their main source of energy. However, burning fossil fuels is one of the top contributors to industrial pollution. It is important to move to other options and alternatives if industries want to take sustainability seriously.

Reduction of oil use is also vital in curbing industrial pollution. For example, food and medical industries may opt to use oil-free industrial air compressor instead of the standard. This variant consumes less energy and is more eco-friendly. It may seem like a simple switch, but it tackles the need to make more sustainable choices and previous unsustainable practices. Such choices are necessary for creating a more sustainable world moving forward.

Sustainability in businesses is paramount now more than ever. Pushing for more businesses to adapt to sustainable strategies benefits the environment and the business itself. In a survey by McKinsey, more than 70 percent of their respondents have sustainability programs in their businesses, proving that sustainability is the way forward.

Why Choose to be Sustainable?

Aside from the promise of a revitalized Earth, businesses could gain more when they choose sustainability. For some, the most ardent reason why there is resistance to shifting to a more sustainable model is the cost. Sticking to the old practices is probably more cost-efficient compared to opting for sustainability.

But it costs less to be sustainable. The reason behind this is no one quantifies or accounts for the environmental damages that industrial pollution costs. If that is taken into account, staying within the old business model will prove to be more costly.

It is no longer viable to continue treating Earth’s limited resources as limitless. Instead of thinking that there are still options for us, it is time to face the music. Sustainability is the only way forward. It is only a matter of time since many governments now see its value in a civilized economy. And the sooner that people start adapting, the sooner we can reap the benefits of this.

It is important to change the view from seeing sustainability as costly; businesses should see it as an opportunity. Not only as an opportunity to do something good for the community but also to innovate and disrupt practices that can be outdated now. In the end, sustainability is all about vision. Imagine a world that is livable, abundant in resources, and free of toxicity. Shifting to sustainable business practices affords the next generation to revel in the resources that the world has to offer.

Admin