It’s now more important than ever to do what we can to make our work places more sustainable and eco-friendly.
We know more about our impact on the environment than ever before, as well as how to minimise it.
The benefits of a sustainable and eco-friendly office space are enormous, and include saving your company a lot of money, as well as happier and more productive workers.
There are many ways to make sure your office space is as green as possible – here are 5 of them.
Recycle
A simple first step in being an active recycler is to bring in bins specifically for recyclable office waste, like paper and plastic items.
More sizeable office rubbish, such as old desks and chairs, cubicles, partitions and e-waste, is more difficult to dispose of.
The best way to deal with this is to contract an office rubbish removal company to responsibly remove and recycle this waste. Having a professional contractor deal with this commercial waste is far more efficient and will save time and money in the long run.
Create a Sustainability Team
Creating a sustainability team in-office is a great way to maintain steady progress in making your work place more eco-friendly.
The sustainability team can keep up with the latest trends, manage sustainability targets and educate the rest of the staff on the best eco-friendly practices.
Your team could also organise informal talks with local green organisations and plan sustainability related events in the office.
They can also liaise with an office rubbish removal company regarding recyclables and removal of unwanted commercial waste.
Embrace Plant Power
Decorating your office environment with plants is not only visually pleasing, but good for the health and wellbeing of your employees.
Plants help to improve the quality of air in the office and offset chemicals from printers and office furniture. Greenery also gives your space a more natural, relaxed feel.
Studies have also shown that having plants in your office can reduce sickness and absence rates in staff. They’re also an excellent barrier for unwanted noise.
Use Renewable Energy
It’s rather easy to check your energy plan, and see what percentage of renewable energy your office is using.
You should be able to amend your plan to one that uses more (or only) renewables, thereby reducing your office’s impact on the environment.
Power Down
Make sure your computers and printers are turned off at the power point each day when leaving the office.
Simply switching the devices to standby is not enough, as a plugged-in device still uses electricity, referred to as ‘phantom power’. Switching off at the power point will save energy, as well as money.
Heating and cooling systems should also be switched off where possible, as a constantly running air system can be a huge waste of money and energy.
