While large, listed corporates are required to produce annual sustainability reports, there’s no such requirement for SMEs in South Africa. But even if they’re not formally regulated in this way, consumers and clients in many industries are increasingly "regulating” businesses – small and big – through their preferences.

“As a small business, you can have a surprisingly big impact on the environment,” says Tzvia Hermann, owner of The Laser Beautique. “Our customers are looking for nontoxic, eco-friendly products to protect their families and to take care of our planet. They now turn products over and read the labels. Being more eco-conscious not only helps our business to stay competitive, but it sends a positive message of environmental awareness that elevates our brand.”

The trouble for many smaller businesses is that this is simply not always affordable. “There is heightened awareness around the environment, sustainable power and climate change, but not everyone has the resources to do something about it,” notes Bulelani Balabala, founder of Township Entrepreneur Alliance.

“Putting in a greywater system, for instance, is costly. In addition, the infrastructure must be there to support it, which we don’t have: our country’s infrastructure is very old and not well maintained.”

Sustainability is about more than recycling

“For me, sustainability means being both environmentally friendly and efficient. It is difficult as a small-business owner, but I have observed SMEs coming up with creative ways to do this, such as partnering with billboard companies and repurposing their printed product to make new products,” says Bulelani.

Lorraine Jenks, climate reality leader and a sustainable production and procurement consultant who has been an environmental activist for 50 years, says that there are some simple and effective ways that anyone can use to get started.

“Stand back, look at your business and consider three main elements,” she says. “First, energy – how can you bring down your consumption? When you have to replace appliances or other equipment, check that you are buying the most energy-efficient ones you can.

“Second, think about water – slowly start changing all the taps in your building to low-flow taps and your toilets to dual flush, or simply put a brick in every cistern.

“And finally, look at your waste management. Are you disposing of your waste in the most responsible way? Is it easy for your employees to comply? If you have recycling bins, for example, make sure they are labelled with words and pictures so that it’s easy to see what goes where.”

“I think the best way is to look at your business and assess which aspects of it are the most harmful to the environment,” adds Tzvia. “In our case, we specialise in permanent hair removal. Before we laser a client, we used to use a plastic disposable razor, and we did the maths. If we have 10 clients a day, that’s 70 a week. This totals approximately 280 razors a month, which is 3 360 razors a year. Multiply this by 12 branches and it amounts to 40 320 razors.

“It takes hundreds of years for those razors to degrade, so we decided to develop our very own biodegradable razor. Not only is it more affordable for us per unit, but we now sell it to all our clients, helping them to make a positive change at home.

“We’ve also looked at all our suppliers and have asked questions and put pressure on them,” she says. “We explain that we only want to stock products that have been sustainably sourced. We ask whether the materials or ingredients they use come from ethical suppliers who pay their employees fair and liveable wages. Fair trade is a big factor for us. Plus, if your staff value sustainable efforts, knowing that you care about the environment too will earn you their respect.”

There’s more to recycling than using the right bin

Waste disposal and separation at source is a good place to start, according to Edith Leeuta, CEO of Fibre Circle, the producer-responsibility organisation of the paper and paper-packaging sector.

“It’s important that recyclable paper such as office-printer paper, cardboard boxes and dry- food packaging does not get wet or dirty,” she explains. “Because paper is effectively a natural product, any contact with moisture from tea bags, food scraps or dirty items such as cooldrink cans that aren’t completely empty will set off the degradation process.”

Keeping paper dry, separate and available for recycling is good for three reasons, says Edith. First, it’s easier and cleaner to retrieve for waste collectors; second, you will begin to notice your own waste footprint and how you can further reduce it by, say, composting food waste; and third, paper fibres retain their integrity, which means a better quality product when the paper is recycled.

“Other items that should be separated out are tins and cans, glass and plastic,” she adds. “If you don’t have the time or capacity to take them to a recycling centre, consider partnering with a waste collector in your street – that way you are helping them to earn an income too.”

“It’s not that small township businesses don’t want to be more environmentally friendly, it’s just that many can’t afford it,” Bulelani says.

“Rolling power cuts are hurting their businesses, making it even more difficult to spend money on these kinds of things. It’s a little easier in affluent areas, but in the mass market – which really means the townships – many are not exposed to these issues, and it seems like wasteful expenditure to those business owners.

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be making the effort – we need to make the information and the infrastructure available, and possibly introduce government subsidies to support small businesses in making that transition.”

Lorraine concurs, adding, “There are always more green choices you can make. Become curious about your whole supply chain and value chain and see where you can make improvements. Just do the best you can – no-one can do it perfectly.”

This article originally appeared in Nine Yards magazine. Read more here.