Environmentalism is swiftly taking over the world as a way of life in the majority of households, and it is quickly conquering the business industry as well. In a world threatened by the rising dangers of global warming and the scarcity of natural resources, the human collective is starting to work together towards undoing the wrongs of past generations.
But we have only begun. Entrepreneurs from across the globe are increasingly adopting the eco-friendly mindset, not only because of the positive associations towards their brand, but because they are mindful of their environment as well. Making substantial financial savings in the process is just a cherry on top. Here is how you can easily and effectively go green in your office.
Greening up your office supplies
First thing’s first, you want to introduce an all-around green office supplies policy that will enforce the use of eco-friendly office amenities across the board. Your office should boast contemporary design trends such as green products like pens that can be refilled rather than thrown away and staple-less staplers.
Moreover, you want to eliminate the use of products that have no green substitutes, such as rubber bands, and only use products that have been recycled. These can be paper and plastic products and even recycled paper clips.
Recycling, reusing, repurposing
Speaking of recycling, this policy should permeate the entire office space, but more than that, you should enforce reusing and repurposing policies as well. Rather than creating waste by throwing away old stuff, you can repurpose it in creative ways, or you can repair them and bring them back to their former glory.
Alternatively, take all of the things you don’t need and donate them to the people that do. Don’t worry there are plenty of people in need, and you don’t need to feed the notorious landfill any more.
Eco friendly printers and paper use
Paper use and printers are the two most wasteful problems in an office setting. Printers use energy resources, and the production of paper worldwide is severely impacting the eco-system. You want to cut down on needless sheet paper and energy consumption by introducing contemporary printing technologies, such as label writers like Dymo has that can save you plenty of paper. However, you just need to make sure you always have enough Dymo labels for printing. Also, don’t forget to cut down on paper by switching to digital solutions.
Make sure your office switches to recycled paper across the board and enforce paper recycling policies
as well. In order to save energy, you want to turn off your printers completely when they are not in use,
and don’t replace the cartridges until they are completely empty. Printers do lie from time to time, you
know.
Appliances and lighting
Speaking of conserving energy and turning the printer off, you want to enforce energy savings around the office by turning off the lights when the office is not in use and even replacing your traditional lighting scheme with modern LED lighting.
While traditional incandescent lighting can waste up to 80% of energy on heat, LED lighting uses 80% of energy for illumination, and only 20% is wasted on heat accumulation. This means that you can make substantial financial savings in the long run by lowering your electricity bill dramatically. Remember, when you conserve energy, you are allowing the power grid to deliver electricity to those in need. Plus, you’re helping the preservation of the environment – it’s a win-win!
You can even set up a timer to turn off all of your appliances at the office after hours, including your lighting, heating and cooling, so that you don’t have to worry about literally leaving the stove on when you head out.
Minimize electrical heating and cooling
Finally, you want to minimize heating and cooling around the office by investing in proper wall, floor, and roof insulation, sturdy- double glazed windows, and durable doors as well. Proper insulation around the office will help keep the heat from dissipating outwards, and keep the cold from settling in.
In turn, this will render the AC useless, and you won’t have to waste energy on cooling the place down, or even heating it up during the winter season. Introduce a programmable thermostat as well, and you will have a powerhouse of energy-efficiency in no time.
Environmentalism is no longer a fad, it has become a way of life and the only way forward towards a bright future. By implementing these contemporary solutions, you will have no problems elevating your brand recognition, helping the environment, and saving money in the process.
Catherine is a passionate home design consultant from Melbourne. She loves making homes beautiful and buildings sustainable, but she also like sharing her advice and knowledge with people. That is why she is also a regular contributor to the Smoothdecorator blog. Besides all this, she loves reading and enjoys a superhero movie from time to time.
