Easy Ways to Make Your Office More Sustainable
Both small and cooperate moguls should be concerned with global warming. They should put in place green strategies like waste reduction, recycling and resource saving for a healthier business environment. Furthermore, it’s good for business reputation and increases sales.
Most customers are nowadays aware of good environmental practices and will easily notice if a business does not confine to that. Here are some tips on a sustainable office and happy workplace.
Use of Eco-Friendly Transportation
Encourage your staff to walk or use bicycles instead of cars for short distances. They may end up encouraging their co-workers to embrace the same and at the same time improve their general well-being. Likewise, it also reduces their carbon footprint.
By taking a walk to their workplace, they save on fuel and gas emissions which are harmful to the environment. Also, offer incentives to employees for not using their cars and instead use public transport and carpooling.
Work from Home
Video conferencing is a replacement of many in-person business trips since there is no cost for people involved in the virtual meeting. Moreover, they can easily be together at the right time and this type of meeting saves on office space.
Telecommuting also increases productivity, because it eliminates time and location barriers. Meetings can, therefore, be held at any time, anywhere with anyone. In this way, meetings take a short time, are more effective and with collaborative tools, decisions can be made faster.
Hire Eco-Friendly Services
Every business needs other companies for many services. We should look to hire those who’re eco-friendly and care for the environment. On that way, we help other eco-business to thrive and also will make our offices hazard-free.
A great example of such a company is BigBen.co — London’s most reputable removal company. They always use eco-friendly materials for packing and recycle all the rubbish created during the moving day.
Minimise Energy Consumption
- Make maximum use of natural light
- Use energy-saving bulbs
- Use a switch that turns off all electrical appliances when they are not in use.
- Ensure proper building insulation where possible.
Come up With a Composting Program
You can also come up with a composting program that will take care of food waste. Most employees take their tea or lunch to work which leads to leftovers. A composting plan could be used to improve in landscaping at the same time enhancing the environment.
Avoid ‘Use and Throw’ Products
Use washable and reusable mugs instead of the disposal paper cups. Come up with the idea of every employee bringing their cups from home. The washable mugs can replace disposable cups for coffee, tea and water used and thrown daily. As a result, this measure saves your company money and space in landfills.
Recycle Paper
Put in place a good project for recycling paper. This can be easily done by collecting scarp paper that can thereafter be reused. By recycling paper, you save water, mature trees and oil for other purposes. Additionally, you use less material, less clutter and make your space neat.
Cut on Water Consumption
Toilets consume a lot of water in our workplace. Likewise, small leaks or underground leaks can go unseen for quite some time. This can be controlled by fixing the leaks and installing low flow toilets or faucets and aerators.
Besides, monitor your cooling water tower since it tends to use large quantities of water. If your business is located in a building with a cooling tower, try to check with someone who is well conversant with the system to make sure that the cycles of concentration are being maximised.
Generate Your Own Energy
Alternative energy generation in the form of solar and wind stall panels use sunlight and saves a lot on your company’s energy bill. At the same time, they are environmentally friendly and don’t release toxins to the atmosphere.
Come up with Sustainability Teams
Educating your employees on consumption is key to a sustainable office. Educate them on renewable energy, benefits and how to save. Let them be role models to their fellow workers by personally practising these activities.
They can also organise monthly sensitisation programs and checks on environmentally sustainable activities at the workplace.
Add Green to the Office
Flowers in the office makes employees more productive. Not only do they freshen the air, but they also increase attention and working better. Some flowers help to minimise noise beautify the office.
No Paperwork
According to Vince Digneo, an adobe sustainability strategist, the greenest paper is no paper at all. To cut down on paper waste, try to keep all things digitally done in the office as much as possible. For example, corrections and updates should be done on your computers.
Eliminate file cabinets by storing all your documents in digital files. Documents can also be reviewed on the screen instead of printing them out.
There are other ways of going paperless in the office which included printing less and requesting you suppliers for e-statements and invoices. By setting up an automated payment method, you reduce paperwork at your workplace.