If you work in an office, and even more importantly, if you are in charge of an office, it’s important you think carefully about how to make that workspace more eco-friendly. The planet needs taking care of, and it’s down to each individual and each business to do what they can. With that in mind, here are just some of the things you can do to make your office more environmentally friendly.
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Encourage Green Commuting
One of the biggest issues that comes with working in an office is the commute to get there. This is what workers dislike the most, and it’s also what causes the most pollution. Of course, the best thing you can do is to negate this commute altogether and encourage remote working, but if this is not possible, then encouraging green commuting is a great idea.
This might include offering incentives for people to ride a bike into work or take public transport. If people have to drive, you could show them a TURO promo code so they can hire a car together and carpool into the office. All of this is better than everyone driving separately.
Go Paperless
Having a paperless office is an ideal way to be more eco-friendly. Paper makes up ninety percent of all waste from offices in the US, so it’s clear that the less paper you can use, the more eco-friendly your office will be. Using recycled paper is better than buying brand new paper, but it’s still wasteful when there are so many ways to use digital technology.
If you can keep all your correspondence to emails rather than printing out letters, and if you can use the cloud to share information rather than handing out paperwork, this will help you save a lot of paper. Although it might take some time to go completely paperless, it’s worth starting as soon as possible, and it will make a big difference – you’ll save money on stationery too.
Bring A Desk Plant
It might sound strange to suggest that you bring a desk plant to your office to make it more eco-friendly, but it’s actually a good idea. Indoor plants improve the air quality of office spaces (and any other room or area) because they produce oxygen. This makes people more productive and healthier.
When it comes to being environmentally friendly, the more plants you have, the better the air quality, and that means you won’t have to invest in power-hungry equipment like HVAC units or fans. You’ll therefore use less energy, and that is better for the planet.
Maximize Natural Light
Did you know that workers who have plenty of natural light in their office are about fifteen percent more productive than those who have to rely on artificial light? Therefore ensuring you have enough natural light in your office is going to be helpful in a number of ways.
When it comes to being eco-friendly, the more natural light you are using, the less artificial light you need, and that means, once again, you’re using less energy. If you do need to use artificial lighting, make sure you install LED bulbs, as they are much more eco-friendly than standard ones.
