No matter what size your business is, we all have a part to play in creating a more sustainable environment. These 5 small steps will help you to do just that.
1. Keep it digital
A great first step in reducing your office’s environmental impact is to go paperless where possible. Approximately 80,000 to 160,000 trees are cut down each day worldwide to make paper. This rapid deforestation has huge consequences for the environment. By storing information electronically, your office can drastically reduce their carbon footprint.
Additional bonuses to going paperless include cutting business costs associated with paper, printers, and ink cartridges, eliminating office clutter and avoiding wasting time searching for documents.
2. Reduce & Recycle
It’s not always possible to go completely paperless, but you can still make a difference by cutting back on your paper use and setting printers and photocopiers to double-sided settings.
Place recycling bins in typical high-traffic areas – the office kitchen, near the printer – and clearly label what can and can’t go in them.
3. Get keep cups
If you have a lot of coffee drinkers in your office, consider buying company-branded Keep Cups, to reduce the use of single-use, disposable coffee cups.
Half of the plastic produced globally goes into products that are used only once. 500 billion disposable cups are thrown away every year, creating a staggering amount of waste. Switching your office’s coffee drinkers to Keep Cups will help to reduce this number. They last for 3 years and are then easily recycled, unlike their disposable counterparts which last up to 50 years in a landfill, releasing harmful methane gases all the while.
An added incentive for making this switch is saving cash – many coffee shops offer discounts if you bring along your own reusable cup!
4. Go green (literally)
Introducing plants is a simple but effective way of creating a more environmentally-friendly workplace. Plants emit oxygen, offsetting any chemicals in the air and reducing air pollution.
Not only does adding plants make your office more eco-friendly, studies show they also have the added perks of reducing noise pollution, boosting moods and increasing staff productivity – creating a healthier, happier workplace.
5. Cut your energy consumption
Small changes in electricity usage can have hugely positive effects.
Encourage everyone in the office to remember to turn off any electronics when they’re not in use. Switch off lights in empty rooms, turn off photocopiers and printers at the end of the day, and plug out kitchen appliances when they’re not in use.
Choosing an energy efficient lighting solution like LEDs has immediate and powerful effects in reducing your energy consumption and bills – upgrading to LED can save you 75% on your energy bill overnight. If you have yet to upgrade your lighting to LED, this is a surefire way to reduce your office’s environmental impact.