Ways to Make Office Eco-friendlier and Efficient
Did you know that the average office worker spends more than 35 hours per week in an office? That’s a lot of time to be spending in an environment where you’re constantly using electricity, water, and other natural resources.
Luckily, there are many ways for your employees to make their workplace eco-friendlier and more efficient if you are planning on reducing your carbon foot print. Here are some great tips to get you started, that are sure to bring results in the pursuit of helping to achieve net zero.
Use Renewable Energy Sources
One way to drastically reduce your energy consumption bills is by investing in commercial solar panels. Renewable energy sources like solar power are not only eco-friendly, but they’re also more cost-effective in the long run. You’ll not have to invest in expensive system maintenance or worry about monthly utility bills.
Go Paperless
It’s no surprise that paper usage contributes to vast amounts of waste and deforestation, which is why your employees need to go paperless as much as possible. With a sound electronic document management system, your office can reduce its paper usage by up to 90%. Digitize all your operations and documents, and save a tree in the process.
Use Renewable Resources for Printing
Printing has always been one of the leading contributors to paper usage, but you can make your business eco-friendlier by switching over to renewable resources where possible. Invest in high-quality digital printing equipment that allows you to print on demand or forego paper altogether.
Make Office Eco-friendlier: Reduce Your Energy Consumption
Your employees need to conserve energy throughout the day. Here are a few simple ways that they can help: Switch off lights and monitors when not in use, which saves a considerable amount of electricity annually and reduces your carbon footprint.
Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer. Desktops use more energy to run and have a higher carbon footprint. Disconnect all devices when not in use so that they don’t draw power from outlets or sockets.
Discourage the Use of Plastics
Consider implementing a Bring Your Own Cup Day, where employees can bring their reusable coffee cups instead of purchasing single-use plastic cups that have a negative environmental impact. It also saves the company money on buying disposable cups. To make the exercise more exciting, create a green challenge where those who go for extended periods without using plastic utensils earn points or rewards.
Another alternative is discouraging plastic and paper cups by replacing them with refillable water bottles that employees can fill up at the nearest tap or filtered water station (or even their kitchen faucet). There are also plenty of reusable travel mugs you can gift your employees as encouragement.
Make office Eco-friendlier: Use Natural Light
Use natural light as much as possible by opening windows and letting your office be visible to the outside world. It also reduces the need for artificial light reducing electricity usage.
Use Energy Efficient Equipment
Consider using energy-efficient equipment like office lighting, electronics (e.g., computers, printers), and appliances that use less power but still provide satisfactory results. Consider replacing old appliances that are drawing more power than necessary with new energy-efficient ones to reduce your office’s electricity usage and costs.
Replace kitchen ovens, refrigerators, water heaters, and air conditioners as needed for maximum efficiency. It’s also essential to have your appliances and equipment well maintained to boost efficiency, reduce carbon footprint and energy consumption.
