The new millennium brought us a more eco-friendly mentality. Especially with climate change, Australian fires, and other natural disasters, we are becoming more aware of the human impact on the environment. As a result, corporations, governments, and individuals are switching to greener alternatives.
Moreso, even the workspace changes to fit the new standards. So, in this article, you’ll find out about the top five eco-friendly trends to be implemented in an up-to-date workplace.
1) Recycle
Instead of buying new products, try to reorganize your office. You’ll find plenty of unused materials that you thought you didn’t have anymore.
Moreover, when buying new furniture or objects, go to the local fair or antique shop. If you buy second-hand, you’ll spend less money and prevent useful items from being wasted before time. You can even create a group between coworkers to exchange or lend objects.
Opt for paper packaging instead of plastic as paper doesn’t pollute the environment as much as plastic. Pick materials that are made from one substance, so it’s easy to recycle.
Don’t forget to have separate bins for paper, plastic, organic waste, and glass. You can add a container for aluminum, bottle caps, and batteries.
2) Sustainable Lighting
Up to 40% of the energy used in an office is for artificial lighting. Therefore, if you want to save electricity, try employing these methods:
- Illuminate the office with natural light. Whenever you can, try to avoid using artificial lighting. If the office is too dark, consider redecorating it with bright objects and walls to open up the space and reflect natural light. Move the desks near the windows. Also, don’t forget to remove dark curtains.
- Try fluorescent bulbs or LEDs. Fluorescent bulbs consume less energy than standard bulbs and are easy to install since they don’t need particular components. LEDs are also a great alternative that saves money and can decorate the office. Suppose you are a company that works with PCs a lot, such as a real estate business, twiftnews, or a travel agency. LEDs can offer mild ambient lighting, which adapts to the eyes.
- Rely on motion sensors. In the bathroom, hallway, or stairs use motion sensor lighting. This way, you’ll see where to step, and you won’t have to worry about switching the light on and off.
3) Food Awareness
Swap harmful food for sustainable healthy snacks. Encourage your coworkers to eat as green as possible, opting for fruits and vegetables instead of salty snacks. Additionally, try to buy fair-trade bars and sweets to support the legal, fair treatment of laborers in foreign countries.
Moreover, you can order food online from healthy takeaway restaurants or online greengrocers. Food delivery prevents excess carbon emissions because there’s just one car that moves around instead of hundreds. You can also reduce packaging this way.
4) Reducing waste
The best way to contribute to a greener world is to use everything you have without throwing away things that are still 100% useful. So start by:
- Eating all of your food. More than a third of the food that’s produced goes to waste. Try to eat smaller portions, so you don’t have to throw away the surplus. Also, don’t mind the expiration date on fruit and vegetables. The date is essential for potentially dangerous foods such as fish, dairy, meat, and so on. However, plants can preserve a perfect condition even after the expiration date. Just watch out for mold and insects.
- Use all the paper. Even if it has a word written on it, you can note less essential things on the page. Old notebooks have plenty of unused paper, and so do old agendas. Use everything before you pick a blank piece of paper.
- Update your email list. Don’t print out whole documents for people who aren’t working in your firm anymore. Figure out which emails don’t serve you.
- Install hand dryers and towels. Stop using paper towels and install a device that dries your hands in a matter of seconds.
5) Reducing Paper
According to some sources, more than 50% of businesses’ waste is paper. So, by reducing the amount of paper we throw away, we reduce costs and pollution. Additionally, even if you work as an accountant, a writer, or as a secretary, saving the company’s budget is always a good thing. Here are some ways to save paper:
- Use software for printing. If you’re printing documents and the last page is just the number of the page, you can use apps to prevent that. They scan the pages and determine useless spaces and data that you don’t need to print.
- Buy sustainable paper. Choose bamboo, hemp, cotton paper over the standard bleached paper. Also, buy only from certified brands which replant the trees they take down.
- Convert documents and notes to the digital form. Instead of printing paper, you can scan documents, put them in a folder, and keep a backup in an online encrypted cloud. Also, use email, virtual notes, or already used paper to write down things.
- Use smart formatting tools. Try to make your document fit into one page by moving the page borders, choosing a small font, and reducing the space between the lines.
- Change the settings. Most printers have a setting option that allows you to reduce the amount of ink and paper you use. Also, you can try to print pages on both sides and to “quick print” the article.
Conclusion
If you want to have an eco-friendly workplace, consider implementing the following methods:
- Recycle everything you can.
- Use sustainable lighting.
- Eat healthy and eco-friendly food.
- Reduce your waste.
- Reduce the amount of paper you use.