Office Sustainability
There are many reasons to consider implementing green practices in your business with an eye on improving office sustainability. Not only is it good to limit your impact on the world we live in, but it can reduce overheads in the form of energy and raw material costs. Working for a business with ‘green’ credentials can also improve the health and satisfaction of your workforce - and can attract customers looking to do business with like minded ethical companies.
Here are some simple changes that will make your office more environmentally sustainable.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reducing consumption of materials in generally great for business – it not only reduces your waste but can also save you money as put simply, you need to buy less. Simply asking your workforce to be more considerate in their usage can have a big impact – small changes add up!
Another great way to improve the sustainability of your office is to look to reuse products wherever possible, and move away from single use goods, from paper through to plastics; swap out cheap and disposable kitchen items with crockery and steel cutlery which will stand the test of time. Encourage employees to collect paper that’s only been printed on one side and use it as a notebook. Promoting the use of reusable coffee cups and mugs for your staff, and glasses as opposed to disposable water cups all add up to less waste and less business cost long term.
Recycling is one of the easiest ways to make your office more environmentally friendly. Simply set up recycling bins around the office, with dedicated bins for glass, paper and plastics if your building collects these separately.
Ink cartridges can be recycled in various manners, from posting back to the manufacturer, through to dedicated services such as The Recycling Factory (www.TheRecyclingFactory.com).
Electronic waste such as old monitors, printers, computers and cables can be often be collected free of charge to be recycled by various charities – one we recommend is WeeeCharity (www.WeeeCharity.co.uk); WeeeCharity will collect your old computing equipment, wipe your data securely, all free of charge, and then donates refurbished computers to those in need, or else disposes of them in an environmentally responsible manner.
Go Paperless
Many organisations are moving towards becoming paperless, however for some businesses cutting out paper completely isn’t possible. If this is the case, make sure you recycle all paper and change the settings so that paper is printed on both sides, with one sided printing being the exception, and not the rule.
If your company data is sensitive, look for a shredding company that offers a service where the paper is recycled once the information has been destroyed – Shred-it (www.shredit.co.uk) are a reputable provider who recycle 100% of the documents they shred.
Of course, digital documents are easier and more affordable to store and retrieve. They reduce clutter in the office and if your business is in the cloud, the documents can be accessed from anywhere. It’s also a more secure way to run your business, should disaster strike.
If you do need to print on paper, make sure you buy recycled paper from sustainable sources and use draft or toner-saving modes for internal printing that doesn’t need to be high quality. Don’t forget the paper towels in the bathroom—hand dryers can be a more hygienic, affordable and sustainable option.
Reduce Energy
Reducing the electricity bill is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your bottom line too.
Here are some quick and easy ways to save energy in the office:
• Make sure your office temperature is the right balance of comfort and cost; setting the thermostat a few degrees lower in winter and a few degrees higher in summer can make a considerable difference to your energy usage over the course of the year
• Walk around the office and see which areas are being heated or cooled unnecessarily, such as storage areas, and were possible adjust as required
• Install energy efficient bulbs throughout the office – for example LED bulbs can pay for themselves in energy savings in a matter of months, so whilst the outlay may seem considerate, if the bulbs last for several years the savings can be considerable, both on cost and energy. Sensor lighting for bathrooms and other low traffic areas can further reduce unnecessary energy usage.
• Switch off TVs, lights and any other electrical equipment when they’re not being used; disable screen savers—computers screens should go to sleep when they’re not in use
• Close applications that you don’t use regularly on your computer and change the setting so they don’t open on login to reduce energy usage and improve performance
• Turn down the brightness setting on your computer screen to improve both comfort and energy efficiency.
A Green Office - Literally
Adding plants to your office does more than simply improve the first impression to visitors – it can massively increase team performance. Dr Chris Knight from Exeter University and fellow psychologists concluded that employees were happier, and typically 15% more productive in a workplace filled with just a few houseplants with significant improvements in memory retention.
This isn’t just a flash in the pan observation; it follows 10 years of study and a collaboration with Universities in the UK, the Netherlands and Australia.
Plants also emit oxygen and reduce air pollution, making the air in your workplace cleaner and healthier to breathe. It can also reduce noise pollution, which is particularly important in an open-plan workplace. Space plants evenly around the office, so everyone can enjoy the benefits of nature. A marketing leading provider of office plants is Planteria (www.PlanteriaGroup.com).
Work With Sustainable Suppliers
Many companies understand that customers are increasingly looking for green products, so look at what your business purchases on a regular basis and see if there is a more sustainable option.
This may include suppliers of more eco-friendly cleaning products as per Delphis (https://delphisco.com) who use 100% PCR Plastic for its products, utilising existing UK plastic waste to create their packaging.
Before procuring services, ask whether they have an environmental policy in place or relevant green certifications.
Last but not least, Quokka Coffee can help you reduce plastic and glass packaging whilst providing great tasting, ethically sourced and sustainably packaged instant coffee for your office!
Letting your customers know that you’re committed to maintaining a sustainable workplace can be a fantastic marketing opportunity - as well as doing the right thing.
