Are you thinking about going green at work?
There are many reasons nowadays to have a green office environment. Doing so lowers your ecological footprint, cuts electrical costs, and improve your brand’s image. This, in turn, can attract more customers.
Some studies even show that millennials care most about workplace design. So, deciding to go green is a wise choice for them. Since they’re likely to become your employees and co-workers, going green ensures you make them happy and keep your workplace productive.
With all the benefits it brings your workplace, it seems that there is no reason not to go green today. Below, we have 10 tips for you to get started on making your office a friend of the environment.
1. Aim to Have Less Paper Waste
It’s a no-brainer that relying less on paper is the number 1 way to go green. While it’s impossible to become 100% free from using paper, reducing your paper use can still have a big environmental impact.
You can do this through various means. For example, making sure you use every blank space on a sheet of paper before throwing it away. If it’s not for formal or official use, then there should be no reason for you to do this.
2. Practice Good Printing Habits
Bad printing practices are the number 1 reason why people waste a lot of paper. So, following the spirit of reducing paper waste, changing your printing habits is essential in achieving an eco-conscious workspace.
Most printers and Xerox machines have a feature to print double-sided documents. Using this feature alone cuts your paper usage by half. If you don’t come across one with that feature, reuse the unprinted side instead.
Also, consider sharing a single printed document among your employees or co-worker during a meeting. This means you’ll only have to use 1 sheet of paper for the entire team.
3. Implement a Casual Dress Code for the Appropriate Season
Air conditioners and space heaters use up a lot of energy. So, for the hot summer or cold winter days, consider foregoing the usual office attire. Dressing in formal attire only encourages the use of heaters and coolers to stay cozy.
Dress in comfortable clothes instead. Allowing clothes appropriate for winter help cut down on heating costs. Do this for summer too, breathable clothes make you and everyone else rely less on air conditioners.
This also allows your employees to express themselves through their clothes. It increases the overall happiness in the workplace, leading to better productivity.
4. Opt for a Reusable Pen
Not many people notice this, but pens are the most common type of litter you’ll see in waste bins. Think of all the plastic wasted each time you throw a pen away.
Use a reusable pen instead. Look for ones that only need you to replace the cartridge when it runs out. This will help cut down on plastic waste and help you cut some costs for pens.
5. Reduce the Use of Electrical Equipment
Most people tend to only put their equipment on standby if they’re not using it. What they don’t know is that the device still uses electricity even while it’s on standby. This means they still emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to the production of greenhouse gases.
Shut down the device before leaving for the day instead. This ensures they don’t continue to draw electricity and produce carbon dioxide. Your device may take longer to start up than usual, but that’s a small price to pay to lower your carbon footprint.
6. Make the Most of Natural Light
A well-lit workplace is an ideal workplace. This makes it impossible to avoid turning on the lights. However, there is a way you can reduce your dependence on electrical lights.
Opening up the shutter and blinds to let in the natural light is the way. Most office buildings have tall windows blocked by vertical blinds. Adjust these to let the light in during the morning, and you’ll surprise yourself with how well-lit it is.
If natural can’t get to your workplace, use energy saving lights instead. These may cost you more upfront, but they can save you a big buck in the long run. It also emits less carbon dioxide than the usual lights offices use.
7. Clean Workplace with Non-Toxic Products
The common cleaning products people use to sanitize their workspace are often chocked full of chemicals harmful to the environment. The use of these products may be harmless at first glance, but the chemicals they emit thin out the ozone layer little by little.
Instead, you should consider using products that use natural ingredients. Many companies nowadays produce cleaning products made from natural substances. These work as the usual products do, but they are gentler on your equipment and the environment.
8. Decorate the Office with Indoor Plants
Speaking of going all natural, why not go for a literal green workplace and decorate your workplace with indoor plants? They are easy to care for and they give off a calming aura to keep your workplace from getting toxic.
Also, plants like these help improve indoor air quality. They filter out any pollutants that may have come from the outside. You can breathe easy having one of these around in the office.
So, stock up on indoor plants now. You’re only a click away from getting one of your own.
9. Use Public Transportation to Get to Work and Back
If you have the option of using public transportation to commute to work, why not take it? This will help reduce the number of vehicles expelling gas, which is one of the culprits behind the greenhouse effect.
Sometimes though, there are no acceptable or safe options for public transport. If you have to use a private car, why not consider carpooling with co-workers instead? This makes sure you all use only 1 car, cutting down on fuel costs and emissions as well.
10. Encourage the Use of a Recycling Bin
This is more of a long-term plan. A simple act of using a recycling bin paves the way to future benefits. It helps the environment fight off against pollution.
It also gives you and your co-workers or employees a chance to repurpose them for future uses. You can also sell them off and use the funds for anything the workplace needs.
Turn Your Workplace into a Green Office Environment Today
A green office environment doesn’t happen on its own. Do your part and go green today! Use our guide to make going green easy and cost-effective now.
If you’re going green in your workplace, why not go green at your home too? To start off, here are 5 cleaning products that are a friend to the environment, as well. Check them out now.
