How to Go Green at Your Office

There are so many ways to go green in your office, that we don’t have enough time to go through them all! Here are some of our favourite approaches, however, to tackling that massive carbon footprint.

Electricity

Not only does moderating your energy usage help the environment, but it also cuts down overhead costs – win, win. After you’ve finished using electric equipment, turn them off. Make sure that you have your computer on energy saving settings and turn off any lights, once you’ve left the room (as long as there’s no-one in there!).

If it’s a beautiful day outside, you may not even need overhead lights. Make use of the natural sunlight.

RRRR

‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ is a phrase we’re all familiar with. Australia has gone one step further and added ‘refuse’ to the three ‘r’s. Be as economical and eco-friendly as possible, when it comes to supplies. Most people are conscientious about recycling, so empower your co-workers to make use of the paper bins!

Get Eco Products

Generally, eco-friendly office supplies cost marginally more than the cheap stuff, but it’s well worth the money. Even small changes, like choosing to use recycled paper, make a big difference.

Cleaning

Many cleaning products are highly toxic, so if you can convince your cleaning staff to use environmentally-friendly products that don’t ruin eco systems, then so much the better. If you outsource cleaners, consider changing companies to a greener cleaning business. You may even save yourself money in the process!

Lunchtime

Try going for the vegetarian or vegan option as frequently as possible. Even better, bring your own packed lunches to work and choose organic and local ingredients for your bento.

Working from Home

Try to convince your superiors to promote working from home. It reduces overhead costs and cuts out commuting to the office every day. That saves time, money, and carbon emissions.

Transportation

For those who’re regularly in the office, advertise a carpooling service, where members of staff who are willing to give lifts, post up their details. If anyone is in the area, they can share a lift to work, which will cut down on the amount of cars on the road.

Alternatively, incentivise coming to work through public transport, cycling, and walking.

To Print or Not To Print

Unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t print off documents. Try to keep things as digital as possible. Aim for a paperless office.

Smart-Casual

During the winter and summer, people will want to dress according to the seasons. If they’re restricted to a stern dress code, however, this means that more energy will be used in heating or air conditioning.

Ethical Sources

When it comes to buying the kitchen’s drink materials, choose fair trade and organic substances. Also, encourage the use of mugs, rather than disposable cups. You’ll massively reduce waste and provide a higher quality drink experience. An office marches on coffee beans, after all.

Composed for office space planning experts, http://www.opus-4.com/ –  they are based in Manchester, but are looking to convey interesting and helpful insights to improve office environments.