Are you concerned about the well-being of yourself and your employees?
Do you care about the direct impact you make on the environment you live in?
If you answered yes to these questions, then that’s awesome. Welcome to the green life. Both local and global businesses are implementing earth-friendly habits into the workplace, and it’s proving to be nothing but good.
From improving company morale, to saving money as well as energy, to leaving the lightest footprint possible on this planet, you’ll see that going green is more than a movement: it’s a lifestyle.
Do you want to know the ways in which your small business can go green?
Then you’ll want to check out these environmentally-friendly tips to try in your office!
1. Encourage Reusable Items
We’ll keep this category broad so you can fit the idea to your workplace.
If employees frequently eat lunch in-office, keep kitchenware in a designated spot for them to use in lieu of plastic, disposable items.
Inspire employees to fill reusable bottles from a filtered-water system in the office. Offer fun incentives for those that do, like cool company stickers to decorate their bottles with.
A whopping 40% of plastic being produced is for one-time-use items that are immediately discarded. Keep posters up that raise awareness about this fact.
2. Keep It Digital
When you can, put work, training manuals, notes, and such online. Why?
- No one will ever forget something at home – the internet can be accessed whenever
- Documents can easily be edited and updated without mass reprinting costs
- The price of paper and ink? Not cheap. Especially if you make an error and need to reprint
Save time and money by utilizing technology and keeping as much as you can digital. Use paper only when you have to, and then recycle it.
One example: own a small baby boutique? Put your local baby carrier buying guide online instead of mailing out a catalogue – and tell customers to come consult you in store for further information. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 17,000 gallons of water, and 463 gallons of oil.
That’s not nothing.
3. Turn Off the Lights
And the computers. Unplug the coffee pots and the microwaves.
You wouldn’t keep your car running overnight while you slept, right? So why does everything else need to remain plugged in and on?
The answer is that it doesn’t.
Keep posters up around the office to encourage this habit. “Go Green” and “Reuse Repair Recycle” come to mind.
Speaking of recycling…
4. Recycling Bins at Work
Every once in a while, you’ll have to use paper. Someone will have a soda can. There’s an inevitable plastic water bottle.
For these occurrences, conserve the earth’s resources by installing recycling bins in a convenient spot in your workplace. Recycling steel cans alone can save 74% of the energy used to make them!
5. Consider Plant Life
Think about going green by decorating green. We mean plants!
Not only are these decorations natural and beautiful, they’re healthy for us, too. One simple plant per desk can:
- Improve air quality
- Decrease stress amounts
- Increase focus
- Keep humidity in check, and
- Keep the environment on the mind
Wow. All of that from one plant. Try Googling lists of plants that thrive indoors with minimal care.
Your Small Business Can Go Green Today
It’s never too late to start implementing eco-friendly habits in the workplace.
If you have yet to start, begin today! Your employees will take a breath of fresh air at the change – both figuratively and literally – and you’ll be doing good for your company and the planet.
Your small business can go green without any risk. To put it simply, the risk just isn’t there. Green living is healthy living.
Protect current and future generations by making environmentally-conscious and ecologically-responsible decisions.
If you’re ready to turn your small business into a green business, check out our blog for more tips!
