November 10th 2021
We are living in a time where the planet is struggling. Heat waves, hurricanes, forest fires and flooding are clear indications from Mother Nature that we need to change the way we live and operate on this planet. This can not only apply to the home, but also to the workplace. There are many things you can do to ensure your office is greener than green when it comes to energy consumption and waste. Did you know that the energy being wasted by only a few thousand office buildings across the UK could power 100,000 homes, and costs businesses £60 million in unnecessary energy bills, according to Green Alliance?
We’ll outline our top 10 tips for creating an environmentally friendly office, so you can adjust and save money at the same time!
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Going Green Starts With The Little Things
Lets’ start with an obvious one. Reducing the number of single-use items in your office can have a huge impact on the environment (especially if every office was to lessen their consumption of these items across the UK). Items such as paper and plastic cups can find a new life if your office enacts a strict recycle policy, with the proper facilities being installed and labelled for each item. With so many waste items being improperly disposed of or not recycled, for example PET and HDPE plastics having only a 29.1% and 29.3% recycle rate respectively, the time is now to up your recycle game in the office to start having a positive impact on the planet.
2. Switch to Energy-Saving Technology to Lower Your Overheads
We are living in a time where technology rules the world, but it doesn’t have to have a negative impact on it. Energy-saving tech in your workplace can drastically reduce the amount of energy consumed by your office which can, in turn, save you money in the long run! Installing computers and monitors that turn off after a certain amount of time, rather than sitting dormant on standby, or having motion sensor lighting can help to boost your savings and the planet at the same time. Investing in a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature when no one is working in the office can also help! You can inquire about energy-saving options in any of our Serviced Offices.
3. Lessen the Printing – Devise a Paperless Approach
One thing that many businesses are already implementing is a paperless approach to document storage and retention. According to Restore, up to 6,800 out of 10,000 sheets of copy paper are being wasted per worker, per year, which is a staggering amount of waste when you factor in how many workers per office building that can be. A paperless approach means transferring vital documents to a digital storage system, or cloud, so they can be called upon and viewed at any time, from any workstation in the office. A system such as this will drastically reduce paper waste and help you achieve your greener goals.
4. Upgrade Your Furniture and Keep it Ethical at the Same Time
We are all used to the classic desk-and-chair set up in an office, but what if this could be refined to be more environmentally friendly? There are many companies out there who specialise in furniture with eco-friendly attributes, whether they’re made from biodegradable materials, or don’t contain any harmful chemicals that some traditional office furniture can contain. Impacting the planet can also come in the form of the chair that you’re sitting on, the lamp that you’re using, and even the keyboard you type on every single day. Managed Offices are a great way to have eco-friendly furniture implemented right from the get-go!
5. How Office Temperatures Can Help You to Save Money
Remember the programmable thermostat we mentioned in Tip #2? These can really help to monitor the temperature in your office and reduce the amount of time the heating is being blasted with no one there to feel the benefits. On the other end, you can implement a more casual approach to clothing in the summer months, which can help your workers to feel cooler without persistent requests for the air conditioning to be turned on, which can also drive up your monthly bills. More layers in winter, less layers in summer is a great way to save money and keep your employees happy at the same time.
6. Going Green, Quite Literally!
There’s no better way to show that you’re helping the environment, than bringing the environment inside! Plants and flowers can provide many benefits in the workplace, from boosting oxygen levels in a stuffy office, to improving overall mental health by creating a more welcoming and positive atmosphere. Biophilic design in the workplace can improve productivity by 8% and rates of well-being by 13%, so there really are no downsides to bringing nature inside.
7. Changing Your Energy Suppliers to Save on Costs
There are energy companies out there that claim to supply 100% green energy, but this is not technically a true statement. While the proportion of green energy supplied by these companies is significantly higher than their conventional energy competitors’ variable rate tariffs, the energy is still being supplied by the National Grid – which is a mix of renewable and non-renewable. The real reason you should consider switching to a greener energy alternative, however, is that the money you spend will be put towards great renewable energy projects, with the government aiming to double the capacity of renewable energy it will subsidise in 2021.
8. How Cleaning Products Can Help You to be More Green
Proper cleaning regimes have become a standard whilst we still live with the effects of Covid-19, and there are product alternatives out there that can also help the environment too. These can also help to lessen the amount of toxins in the air in the workplace.
Some of these can include:
- Natural and biodegradable soaps and cloths for the restroom
- Sustainably sourced liquid soaps
- Carbon and water-neutral products
- Organic and plant-based cleaning alternatives
- Refillable containers to cut on plastic waste
- Non-toxic floor polish and glass cleaners
9. Make the Most of Natural Light
A bright and airy office can do wonders for the physical and mental wellbeing of your workers. Situating desks near large windows can boost creativity and productivity by providing a boost in Vitamin D, which is proven to aid in the production of serotonin – the happy chemical! This approach also lessens the need for excessive overhead lighting and lamps for artificial light, which can cut your bills down as well as keeping your workers’ spirits up, as natural light is definitely the way to go to improve health.
10. Set Up A ‘Green Committee’ and Implement Eco-Friendly Company Goals
With everything we’ve discussed so far, it can be a bit of a headscratcher as to where to start. This is why we suggest setting up a ‘Green Committee’ within your company. A small team of employees will be tasked with devising and overseeing your company’s green goals, and setting monthly, quarterly, or yearly targets, as well as providing incentives to your other workers to help to cut down on their personal waste. It’s important to set attainable goals over set periods of time and monitor them regularly to see the impact they have.
We hope these top tips have opened your eyes to the importance of transferring to a greener, more eco-friendly work environment. It can not only help your overheads and monthly bills, but also improve the overall health and attitudes of your workers, leading to a happier and more productive workplace.
You can take a browse of our Serviced Offices to see which offices have the most environmentally-friendly approaches, or create your own eco-space with a Managed Office today!
