4 Sustainability Practices In Education Franchises

07 Aug 2024

The education sector continues to evolve rapidly with each passing year, giving rise to plenty of franchise opportunities that let investors and entrepreneurs reap lucrative returns while making a positive impact on the world. However, those looking to dive into this market must be aware that running an education franchise involves a lot more complexity and goes beyond simply offering good guidance and instruction. This means that if your product is not superior or at least competitive with other available options, you may not succeed.

But apart from having a unique and quality service offering, there is another aspect that can largely contribute to your education business’s success: sustainability. According to the US Franchising Statistics Report, with increased awareness of environmental issues, there is a growing demand for eco-friendly products, sustainable practices, and green initiatives. Franchises that adopt these practices not only attract a segment of eco-conscious consumers but also ensure compliance with evolving regulatory requirements. As such, franchises that make sustainability among their top priorities (even those that mainly focus on service-based offerings like education centres) are poised to attract a growing segment of environment-conscious consumers. Below, we explore some of the popular ways you can effectively embrace sustainability in your education franchise business.

1. Adopt green policies in campus operations

Every educational institution that is serious about environmental stewardship should ideally start by making its learning centre’s operations greener. Some common examples include choosing energy-efficient technologies, investing in renewable energy, and various green building practices like daylighting, water conservation, and so on. Additionally, jumping in on the paperless trend is also worth considering. By serving as an everyday example of sustainability in practice, education franchises can educate and inspire their students and staff to also adopt eco-friendly practices in their daily routines.

2. Foster a culture of sustainability among students and staff

After focusing on campus operations, the next step would be to foster a culture of sustainability by actively encouraging environmentally friendly behaviours among the students and faculty. A few examples include minimising paper usage, using reusable bottles, and practising mindful consumption. There are many ways to achieve this overarching goal, including incentivising the aforementioned habits, hosting campaigns and workshops, and creating designated green spaces on campus.

3. Reduce e-waste

The increasing trend of paperless educational settings naturally led to adopting more electronic devices, but this inadvertently exacerbated the growing challenge of e-waste or electronic waste. Thankfully, schools and education franchises can effectively reduce their e-waste through proactive measures like prioritising repair and refurbishment over buying new devices and partnering with third-party electronics recycling programmes. Moreover, franchises can also opt for sustainable IT practices like using cloud storage and hosting virtual classrooms to further mitigate their need for physical hardware and, ultimately, e-waste generation.

4. Establish sustainable procurement processes and responsible consumption habits

Sustainable procurement starts with choosing vendors and suppliers with strong environmental credentials. This ensures your franchise only exclusively receives products and services that perfectly align with your sustainability goals. Best of all, taking this approach encourages the use of environmentally friendly or recycled materials and effectively reduces the ecological footprint associated with purchasing decisions. On top of that, education franchises should ideally also promote responsible consumption by limiting the use of single-use plastics, serving sustainable snacks and food options, and encouraging students to use reusable items. When you choose the right franchise for your lifestyle, one that prioritises sustainability, you can make a positive impact while aligning with your personal values.

Conclusion

Amid today’s worsening environmental climate, education franchises also have a vital role in promoting sustainability among the younger generation. By adopting as many eco-friendly practices as possible and educating students on why sustainability matters now more than ever, they can help contribute to a more sustainable future and become influential leaders in the global sustainability movement.

If you're interested in expanding your franchise's knowledge and skills, the Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore) offers comprehensive courses designed for both franchisors and franchisees. Feel free to reach FLA members in the education sector today:

Equip yourself with the tools to drive your franchise forward – enrol to one of FLA's WSQ Franchise/License Courses day.