Top 10 Tips for a Sustainable Office

Make your office a greener environment and save money in the process

With the cost of everything continuing to rise, businesses are searching for more effective ways in which to save money. Ensuring your office is environmentally friendly, will not only help the environment, but will also help reduce costs. Following these 10 tips will help you create a sustainable, green office environment.

1. 1.     Turn equipment off– Turn off all electrical equipment when it’s not in use and check that any power saving modes of equipment are switched on. Ensure that computers, printers and all lights are turned off at the end of the day; this will considerably reduce the amount of energy used, I turn saving you money.
2. 2.     Use both sides of paper– Many offices use large quantities of paper and this can be quite simple to reduce. Use both sides of the paper for photocopying, faxing and printing where possible and only print large documents if it is really necessary.
3. 3.     Email– Encourage all staff to communicate by email wherever possible and read their messages on screen and determine if it is really necessary to print them.
4. 4.     Packaging– Purchase reusable or refillable goods when possible and avoid disposable items, or use packaging suppliers who will take back packaging to be reused. Shredded paper can be used as padding in parcels instead of purchasing bubble wrap.
5. 5.     Refurbish furniture– Before replacing furniture with new, consider if it can be refurbished it instead. This is much less expensive than buying new and kinder on the environment.
6. 6.     Recycle– Providing clearly labelled recycling bins for paper, cans, plastic and glass will encourage employees to recycle their waste products. Donate any old furniture and electrical goods to charity shops.
7. 7.     Heating– You should be able to alter the temperature in each office using either a thermostat or radiator valves, as a central system does not account for localised conditions and some rooms will naturally be warmer than others and staff prefer different working temperatures. This can result in windows being opened and the heating being on. Ensuring the building is properly insulated can also reduce heating costs.
8. 8.     Water– Ensuring that taps are fully turned off and leaks are repaired will save on water being wasted. A water saving device can be fitted in the toilet cistern and waterless urinals and low flush toilets will also reduce water usage.
9. 9.     Transport– Encourage employees to car share wherever possible, use public transport or cycle to work. Offer benefits such as preferred parking for car sharers, secure lockups for bikes and changing facilities and showers. Install a notice board with information on public transport, cycle routes and people who are interested in car sharing.
10. 10. Appoint a designated environmental person– It can be a very daunting task ensuring a business undertakes sustainable practices therefore if one person is responsible for these there will be much more consistency and they will gain more knowledge around the subject. 

Following these 10 tips will ensure you help the environment along with saving your company money and creating a more pleasant working environment.     

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