You may be like me, an environmentally-conscious pro, or you may recycle every so often. Whatever it may be, one thing is true – we can always be more eco-friendly.
There are so many environmental issues in the workplace. Overconsumption of energy, paper and plastic waste from office supplies, constant electricity – all of which that plague each office environment.
Our carbon footprint in the United States has never been more destructive. From microplastic in lakes to carbon emissions at alarming levels than it has been in decades, implementing sustainable habits is important not just at home, or at school, but also at the workplace.
We encourage you to follow these 5 easy ways you can increase your sustainability in the workplace and have your office make a positive impact on the environment.
1. Lower Energy Consumption
When being in your office environment, it’s easy to notice all the energy around you. Especially since our world is so digitized. The human energy, energy from the lights, computer monitors, the air conditioning controlled by the thermostat – all this are constantly ebbing in the space around you. And as productive as they are, it also is a matter of time before we overuse our energy and it leaks into our environmental impact.
Instead of turning on lights right away, maybe unplug some lights open some blinds for natural light to leak in. Keeping your shades open can also elevate your office environment with an improved work performance because natural light is uplifting and refreshing.
You can even install motion-activated lights if you need indoor lighting (it can even reduce how frequently you change lightbulbs!). Smart power strips can also help for other energy-using devices like computers, laptops, lamps, etc.
As for air conditioning, having indoor air is important. People can’t work when they’re uncomfortably hot. But, if you have the ability to open a window or two to save a bit of energy, then by all means, go for it!
Energy-efficiency and being energy-efficient will not only save money and lower your electric bill, but it will save energy for the long term.
2. Replace Plastic with Recycled Materials!
Recycled paper, recycled plastic, recycled anything is our future. If using plastics keep going the way they are, they’ll be more plastic in the ocean than sea-life.
Switching out your plastic supplies with supplies made of biodegradable materials or compostable materials invites in a plethora of ways to improve your quality of life. Not only does it benefit the natural environment, but it lowers the amount of waste from your office. You can start your plastic-free journey buy looking into office supplies made of recycled materials. We offer some great selections on our website.
3. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Your Waste
What happens when you’re doing using your plastic-free supplies/products made of recycled materials?
You reduce, reuse, and recycle!
The main thing you can do is recycle when you’re done using it. Instead of going in a landfill, it’ll be used to make other supplies like the one you just use. Make sure you place your recycled items in a recycling bin. Or a compost bin! You can read all about that here.
Reducing is not even using the supplies at all, or using a limited supply of them. For the office, instead of grabbing 8 sheets of paper for a couple of notes, you can just grab one sheet.
You can also reduce by reusing! Instead of using a pen and throwing it away once its out of ink, just use a mechanical pencil! The lead can be replaced easily. Or try one of our biodegradable pens!
These are just the sorts of ways a small improvement to the office can go a long way.
In the end, a paperless office is the dream, but it can be unrealistic. Offices will always need paper and sheets of paper. That’s why it’s important to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as we can.
4. Set Up a Green Team
A green team is, essentially, an organization of your coworkers that help raise awareness for being socially responsible and environmentally friendly.
This can be any of your office workers and it can involve any recommendations for a sustainable future for the office.
Changes that could happen involve
- Carpooling when it comes to transportation
- Work from home policy to avoid CO2 emissions from transportation
- Conserve energy by lowering utility cost with limited electricity use
- Recycling programs
No matter what is implemented, a green team invokes green thinking. Green thinking will improve your office workers lives, and ultimately, your company culture.
5. Consume More with Less
Consuming more with less simply means getting more with very little.
Reusing silverware and reusing bottles are a perfect example of consuming more with less. Instead of getting three different plastic water bottles, just fill up your reusable bottle with water from the water cooler (don’t forget to use our reusable water bottle!). Putting snacks in a glass container and recycling the plastic it came in is another fantastic method. How about just using a coffee cup instead of throwing away the styrofoam cup it came in?
All these are perfect environmentally-friendly examples of how you can get more with less.
6. Final Thoughts
At Evergreen Promotions, we do our best to implement these 5 key points. From office plants to compostable silverware and compostable plates to refillable cups, we aim for a more sustainable workspace.
And now it’s your turn! It’s vital to stay environmentally conscious no matter where you go. When supporting the environment it’s always important to remember to: always consume more with less; reduce, reuse, and recycle; and that save mode is your friend.
For more information on Evergreen Promotions and how you can buy our biodegradable products, click here!