A stunning 85% of global consumers have become “greener” in their purchasing decisions in recent years. Your fitness center can appeal to this growing audience by embracing a more sustainable business model.
If you’re not sure how to do that, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
Keep reading to find step-by-step instructions for building a more environmentally sustainable fitness business.
How to make your fitness business more environmentally sustainable
If you’re just looking for the headline information, here are the best strategies for going green as a fitness center:
- Emphasize recycling
- Encourage your guests to be more environmentally-conscious
- Reduce your reliance on paper products
- Add a smart thermostat to your gym
- Unplug your devices at night
- Choose eco-friendly lighting and cleaning products
We’ll provide more in-depth information on each of these strategies, how to implement them and why they’re effective in the sections below.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started
Investing in the right products, tools and technologies can make it much easier for your fitness center to go green. Here’s a list to get started:
- Digital signage technology
- LED lightbulbs
- Smart thermostat
- Eco-friendly cleaning products
- Recycling bins
Digital signage can be especially helpful for this transition. With it, you can eliminate your reliance on paper communications without sacrificing your business goals.
Step 1: Recycle
Recycling is one of the best things that anyone can do for the environment.
It extends the lifespan of the raw materials used to make many different types of products. And when that happens, less energy is needed to harvest those raw materials and make new products.
For example, it takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to produce it from scratch.
Your fitness center can play a big role in this process by making it easy for guests to recycle their products in your facility. You can do that by placing recycling bins in easy-to-spot locations throughout your space.
Step 2: Encourage your guests to use sustainable practices
Many fitness centers advertise classes, products and trainers. But you can also advertise environmentally-friendly practices to your guests in between these ads.
For example, you could:
- Encourage guests to purchase reusable water bottles instead of plastic ones
- Remind guests of the importance of recycling
- Encourage them to use less paper towels when wiping down machines after use
Step 3: Choose to work with sustainable companies
Your fitness center likely partners with lots of different companies to secure its fitness equipment, machines and the products that you stock in its snack bar.
The types of companies that you work with speak volumes to your priorities as a business. And customers pick up on this.
If you choose to go with mass-produced, cheap products, then your fitness business will develop a reputation as a budget option that’s primarily concerned with finances.
But if you invest in high-quality, eco-friendly products, you can establish a completely different reputation for yourself. Your guests may begin thinking about your fitness center as a much more conscious company.
That can have a big impact on your bottom line since more than a third of global consumers are willing to pay extra for sustainability.
Step 4: Limit your use of paper products
Paper products account for about 26% of total waste in landfills. So if your fitness business wants to become more environmentally sustainable, reducing paper waste is a must.
Digital signage makes this a lot easier to do. With it, you can communicate with your guests and employees in whatever ways you want without having to print flyers or takeaways..
For example, digital signage can be a more sustainable replacement for:
- On-premise ads
- Internal communications
- Informational messages for guests
- Any other types of written communication you’ve typically conveyed with paper products
Step 5: Add a smart thermostat to your gym
Using a smart thermostat can do wonders for your heating and cooling costs. That’s because these products give you more control over how you heat different parts of your gym at different times of the day.
With that control, you can reduce heating or cooling when they’re not necessary. That way, you’re not paying more than you should for these utilities.
This also has a big impact on the environment. When you use less electricity to heat and cool your space, you contribute less to the pollution of the planet.
Step 6: Unplug your cords at night
Most fitness centers have a ton of electronic equipment running throughout the day. But when your fitness center shuts down at night, there’s no reason to keep these devices plugged in.
The Department of Energy estimates that the average consumer can save 10% on energy bills by simply unplugging their devices at night. Your fitness center may be able to save even more than that given how many devices and machines are powered by electricity.
Sure, it might be a little inconvenient to have to unplug and replug those cords at night and in the morning. But if doing so can save you money and help the environment, it’s worth making the effort.
Step 7: Use an eco-friendly lighting option
This is another great way to become more environmentally friendly. By choosing the right lighting, you can bring down your energy consumption significantly.
That’s not just good for the planet, it can also be great for your bottom line.
The best way to do this is by investing in LED lights. These can be up to 80% more energy-efficient than traditional lightbulbs.
LED bulbs also tend to last longer than traditional lighting options. So you could do more than just bring down your energy bill, you could also reduce the frequency that you need to purchase new bulbs.
Step 8: Choose eco-friendly cleaning products
Traditional cleaning products can be damaging to the environment. Many are full of harsh chemicals that end up seeping into waterways and groundwater supplies.
You can boost your fitness center’s sustainability by opting for a natural alternative instead. Your environmentally-conscious guests will appreciate you for doing so.
Things to be careful of while building an environmentally-sustainable fitness business
Going green could be just what your fitness business needs to boost its bottom line and appeal to a broader audience. But as you make this transition, there are a few important potential pitfalls to think about.
Here are three things that could derail your progress while you transition to environmentally sustainable fitness.
Failing to plan
Though it can be tempting to just start implementing environmentally-focused changes in a piecemeal fashion, doing so is rarely the best strategy.
You want to come up with an overarching plan before getting started. That way, you can make sure you’re using the optimal solutions before you start spending money.
Overspending on excessive solutions
You may need to spend a little extra upfront while transitioning towards a more sustainable business model. But you can get a lot of that value back by saving on your energy bill and appealing to a wider range of consumers.
The problems will only start to arise if you overspend during the transition phase. For example, you don’t need to purchase the latest eco-friendly machines to have a more sustainable business model.
Doing that may be great for the environment. But it could derail the financials of your transition plan and threaten the health of your business unnecessarily.
Picking the wrong digital signage software
Digital signage software is an effective way to replace paper-based communication in your fitness center. But some digital signage software is more effective than others.
While you’re shopping for software, make sure you pick a provider who:
- Offers a wide variety of template-based and pre-made display options to choose from
- Give you the ability to track the performance of your on-premise ads and make adjustments as needed
- Allows you to power screens in customer- and employee-facing areas
- Helps you entertain your guests with loads of streaming video channels
UPshow makes it easier to go green with your fitness business
If you’re looking for digital signage software that checks all of those boxes, take a look at UPshow. Our software could be just what you need to successfully transition to a more environmentally-friendly business model.
With UPshow, you get everything that you need to communicate with your employees and guests in a paperless way. In turn, you’ll reduce your environmental impact and make strides towards hitting your sustainability goals.
