Nowadays, it is quite easy to ensure an eco-friendly business and office space. With a little effort, you can ensure a sustainable business and work environment in no time. And to get you started with that, here are three simple but effective ideas.
#1 Start by Ensuring an Energy-Efficient Workspace
There are many things you can do to ensure an energy-efficient workspace.
Firstly, train all your employees to use only what they need. That means when they are not inside the room, they should switch off all the lights as well as the air conditioner and other electronics inside.
Secondly, install solar panels on the roof. They can be used to supply the office with backup power whenever necessary.
Thirdly, get an electric generator that can produce enough electrical energy while consuming a minimum amount of fuel. This is because solar panels or other alternative forms of energy might not be enough to power the whole building. Hence, you will need electric generators.
In case you are wondering, “How does a generator work and how do I choose one,” you simply need to know how much energy the office consumes every month. Based on that, you will be able to figure out the power required to run the office, which in turn will help you decide on a generator type.
Also, install a curtain or structural glass walls instead of the usual brick and cement combination. That way, your employees can utilize natural lighting during the day, and keep the lights off inside the office.
#2 Put a Ban on Plastic and Try Going Paperless
Plastic is perhaps the greatest threat to our environment. Humans produce around 380 million tons of plastic each year, which is detrimental to our surroundings. Plastic pollution is the most worrying problem we are facing right now in regards to saving our environment. The more plastic we use, the more we are pushing our world towards danger.
Apart from plastic, deforestation is also a huge problem. As trees are being cut down for making daily necessities, the world is losing its balance. That in turn is making it lose the fight against natural disasters and climate change.
So, to ensure an eco-friendly business, you will have to minimize the use of plastic and paper.
Throw away the plastic utensils inside the kitchen or office breakroom. Replace them with ceramic plates and mugs, and stainless steel spoons and forks. Everyone should bring their coffee mug or flask to work. You can also take it a step further by asking everyone to stop bringing in plastic water bottles. Instead, they should all carry stainless steel flasks.
In the world of digitization, it is very easy to go paperless. Since you will be doing most of your work on the computer, you do not need paper. For the few instances, you must use them, opt for recycled paper or paper produced in a green and eco-friendly way. At least that way, you will not be encouraging the cutting down of trees to produce regular paper.
#3 Encourage Sustainable Logistics
Sustainable logistics includes everything from green packaging, to using greener and energy-efficient transportation.
You will be heavily involved with the packaging and delivery of goods if you work in the manufacturing industry. And while you may not be able to go completely green inside the factories, you can at least encourage sustainable logistics.
Green or sustainable packaging starts by throwing plastic out of the equation. By no means can you use this particular material in the process. Instead, you should switch to greener alternatives like biodegradable plastic, organic fabrics, mushroom-based packaging, plant-based biomaterials, and so on.
Once you are done with packaging, you now have to deliver the products. Since you can only use trucks of varying sizes, you need to choose from a small range of electric truck options available to you. The initial costs for setting up such a fleet might seem steep, but in the long run, it will save you a good amount of money.
Do all these sound simple enough to you? Probably not. However, once you start planning and implementing them, you will see how easy it can be to go green. You still need to put in some effort, but that will all be worth it. After all, you are doing all this to save the environment and Mother Nature.
