Younger generations today are more committed to caring for the planet to address climate change concerns by choosing to deal only with eco-friendly businesses. Millennials and Gen Zs have disclosed in consumer surveys that they are more inclined to buy products or use services offered by socially and environmentally responsible companies. That is why nearly all businesses, including fitness gyms, have been making commitments to incorporate sustainable methods of conducting their day to day operations.
Although primarily some do so merely to attract customers, real eco-friendly and sustainable actions can benefit not only employees but the also the community in which a business operates. At the end of each day, the combined positive effects will impact the surrounding environments.
Transitioning to Become an Eco-Friendly Gym
To transition from being a traditional gym into becoming an eco-friendly fitness hub, have a clear idea of the improvements and beneficial changes it will contribute to employees and the community. Basically, yout main goals are to reduce energy or electricity use, up lessen water consumption and to eliminate non-biodegradable wastes that add to the planet’s pollution problems.
While there are a lot of methods that can be incorporated to make a sports gym an eco-friendly place for physical workouts, below are the mostcommon:
Reducing Water Consumption
Water consumption reduction enables a community to reserve its water supply in addition to minimizing the gym’s utility costs. Installing smart water technologies such as low-flow toilets, shower heads, faucets, and faucet motion sensors has been proven to save up to 2.5 gallons of water per minute when installed in a regular-sized gym bathroom.
Using Eco-Friendly Machines
Human-powered equipment like treadmills can bring about 200 watts of electricity per hour. Use these types of fitness equipment can help both the planet, the community and the gym itself because it will lead to energy cost reduction..
Other green practices that can lower energy consumption include unplugging exercise equipments after shut down to stop “phantom or leaking energy.”
Another approach is to replace all bulbs with LEDs to lower energy consumption. LEDS use 20% to 25% less energy than traditional light bulbs.
Eco-Friendly Gears and Supplies
Opt for eco-friendly supplies and gear to use inside the gym and avoid traditional gym gear accessories made from non-recyclable plastics like foam and PVC. Eco-friendly alternatives for gym gear include natural cork and rubber yoga mats, natural latex resistant and and cork-based band rollers. Instead, go for flooring tiles and mats that are created with recycled materials. Invest in adjustable dumbbells instead of different dumbbells for varying weights. Take note that gym mats are different from the composite crane matting used in construction sites as the support heavy construction equipment amd machineries.
Using Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Make certain not to use cleaning products that include harsh VOC-laden chemicals such as lye, chlorine, bleach, and ammonia. Better yet, is to check whether the cleaning product bears a Green Seal of approval which denotes having been tested for sustainability and safety.
Reducing Plastic Wastes
Address the plastic waste issue by investing in filtered water fountains instead of selling single-use water bottles to gym-goers. Encourage guests to bring their own reusable water bottles or buy durable bottles that are sourced from a certified supplier of green bottles.