Blogs / Cutting a Small Business's Carbon Footprint
Cutting a Small Business's Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas output tied to a person’s, organisation’s, or product’s activity: transport, energy use, and the goods it buys and makes. For a small business, most of that footprint sits in three places: sourcing, packaging, and shipping. Those also happen to be the three easiest to change without touching the core business.
What we actually changed at Eco Happy
Rather than list generic advice, here’s what this looked like for us specifically.
We swapped standard wood pencils for ones rolled from old newspaper, and moved several product lines to seed paper that grows into herbs or flowers after use instead of going to landfill. Neither required new machinery or a different supplier network. Just a different raw material.
Packaging went from mixed plastic to kraft paper and minimal filler. It’s a small change per order, but it adds up fast at any real order volume, since packaging waste is one of the few footprint sources a business controls entirely on its own.
For bulk and corporate orders, several of our lines, the 100-unit seed pen and newspaper pencil batches, for instance, are made to order instead of held as standing inventory. We only make what’s actually been ordered, which means no unsold stock quietly going to waste.
The same principles apply beyond stationery
Source ethically, and know where your materials actually come from. Buy locally where you can, since transport is one of the more overlooked emissions sources for a small business. Go digital for anything that doesn’t need to be printed. Replace single-use plastics with reusable or biodegradable alternatives, even in small internal things like office supplies. And use recyclable outer packaging by default, not as an occasional upgrade.
None of this requires a sustainability department or a large budget. It requires picking the consumables you already buy every month and choosing the version that doesn’t need to be thrown away.
If you’re running a business and want to start with stationery and gifting, reach out for a sample kit; that’s usually the simplest place to begin. To put a number on it first, run your own quantities through the impact calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What's one low-cost step a small business can take first?
Switching everyday consumables (notebooks, pens, packaging) to plantable or upcycled alternatives is usually the easiest first step, no process change required.
Does Eco Happy help businesses with this switch?
Yes, we supply plantable stationery and eco-friendly gifting in bulk for businesses making this switch, reach out for a sample kit.
Where does most of a small business's carbon footprint sit?
In three places: sourcing, packaging and shipping. Those are also the three easiest to change without touching the core business.
What did Eco Happy change in its own packaging?
Mixed plastic was swapped for kraft paper and minimal filler, which adds up fast at real order volumes since packaging is a footprint source a business controls entirely on its own.
Does reducing footprint require a big budget or a sustainability team?
No. It requires picking the consumables you already buy every month, like stationery and packaging, and choosing the version that doesn't need to be thrown away.