Pest control might not be your first thought when you see Earth Day on the calendar, but the reality is that all of us in pest control are working directly to impact our customers’ environments for the better — and in doing so, we have the opportunity to embrace choices that impact the broader environment for the better, too.
Modern advancements in the materials and tools used for pest control — as well as shifts in customer demand toward more sustainable solutions — make now the perfect time to explore how your business can start making changes to minimize environmental impact while meeting customer expectations. So, what can you do to help make tomorrow a little greener than today?
Pay attention to chemical usage
Applying pest control chemicals goes hand in hand with compliance, as failing to stay compliant can lead to fines for your business. But complying with state and federal regulations isn’t just about avoiding fines; it’s about meeting environmental standards intended to better protect ecosystems and public health. Using specialty software allows pest control businesses to automatically track chemical usage, ensuring your business is not only compliant but has the data to prove it. Tracking software also allows you to adjust quickly when regulations shift, keeping you ahead of the curve.
When your business tracks chemical application, more responsible application follows automatically as technicians are better equipped to avoid overspraying or irresponsible chemical use. This allows chemicals to perform their intended functions while keeping runoff to a minimum, shrinking the impact of each job and the costs to run your business.
Beyond tracking, you can also consider more eco-friendly alternatives to begin with. While it may not be realistic to do so in every use case, making green alternatives available when possible showcases your commitment to the environment, as well as your dedication to meeting the needs of modern customers.
Part ways with clutter
For pest control operators (PCOs) still doing business on pen and paper, efficiency gains should be more than enough reason to start digitizing; another reason is reducing waste. Going paperless is one of the most effective ways to reduce waste in any business. For PCOs, digitizing forms, invoices, service agreements and customer communications not only drastically reduces how much paper is used but also enables faster sales in the field.
By taking advantage of mobile apps and cloud-based data, your office staff and technicians can access vastly more data without printing a single sheet. Better yet, you stand to deliver a more seamless experience for your customers with a portal where they can self-service to book appointments, access their service history, receive updates and make payments. It’s a win for your team — and the environment.
Take your fleet farther
Any industry in the field is at the mercy of fuel costs, and pest control is no exception. Ensuring you’re running tight routes can make a big difference, and that boils down to route optimization. Manual route planning isn’t just time-consuming; it’s ineffective. Using intelligent tools tailored specifically for the pest industry to ensure the most efficient routes can enable significant savings on fuel, and that’s on top of lowering fleet maintenance costs and giving your technicians more time back in the day to spend servicing customers.
Stay ahead of the curve with IPM
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an increasingly popular approach to pest control that’s also eco-friendly by its very nature. Emphasizing prevention and monitoring along with targeted treatment to control pests, IPM provides the added benefit of minimizing harm to non-target species and the surrounding ecosystem.
Using software that supports IPM can help companies track pest activity, record environmental conditions, and implement data-driven treatment plans to achieve the best outcome for the business, the customer and the environment. Instead of reaching for chemical solutions by default, IPM encourages technicians to consider alternative methods first — like sealing entry points, removing food sources or applying green-certified products.
The future of pest is green
With growing concern from customers and constantly evolving regulations from governing bodies, embracing environmentally friendly pest control strategies is one of the best ways PCOs can excel today while keeping the future in mind. Embracing future-focused software, sustainable practices and smarter service strategies is a golden opportunity to go green and lead by example this Earth Day.
To learn more about how you can keep your business agile and embrace eco-friendly opportunities with the right software, visit pestpac.com today.
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