Environment
A greener workplace
In this climate of environmental awareness it’s difficult to turn on the news or read a paper without
being told about how to make your home, food and life greener. By now most of us know how to recycle
our rubbish, turn off the lights when we’re not using them and save water, but can we make the
workplace greener too?
Adding a few plants to the office can help absorb indoor pollution
UIfastforwardCar share!
It may not always be possible to use public transport or cycle
to work, so a car share could be a way to cut carbon
emissions and save money too. To encourage employees to car
share, why not organise a car share board so colleagues can
see who lives in their area and share the driving.
UIfastforwardRecycled supplies!
Do your bit by only ordering stationary made from recycled
materials.
Green cleaning. Use non-toxic cleaning products and brighten
We have all heard it before, but by making a few simple up your workspace with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
changes to your office, not only will you be doing your bit for
Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting and paint that are
the planet but you will also be making a nicer environment for
free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't give off
your employees too. If you aren’t sure where to begin, then
toxic chemicals.
start by following a few of these simple yet effective tips.
UIfastforwardRecycle waste!
UIfastforwardTurn off lights!
Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects.
Make the best use of natural light in the office and if you do
Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office,
need to use lights make it a habit to turn them off when you
leave the room for longer than 15 minutes.
including fax paper, envelopes and junk mail, can be recycled.
So can your old mobile phone, PDAor pager.
UIfastforwardThink before you print!
Before you press the button, ask yourself if you really do need
UIfastforwardTurn off your computer!
to print off that particular document. Is the information
Make it a habit to turn off your computer and the power strip
available online, or perhaps a colleague may have a copy of
it's plugged into when you leave for the day. Check with your
the same document that could be shared? Make it a policy to
IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be
post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather
on to run backups or other maintenance. During the day,
than distribute hard copies. They’re easier to update too.
setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short
breaks can cut energy use by 70 per cent.
UIfastforwardDitch the plastic!
Instead of using the plastic cups at the water or coffee
UIfastforwardCarry a bag!
machine, bring your own cup from home to help cut down on When you go out for lunch, carry a bag with you and refuse
plastic waste. Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes,
any plastic carriers that are automatically offered to you at the
silverware and glasses, switch to fair-trade coffee and tea and
till. This should be happening less, as earlier this month UK
provide filtered rather than bottled water to save on waste.
retailers agreed to reduce the environmental impact of their
carrier bags by 25 per cent by the end of 2008.
UIfastforwardCut travel!
Attending meetings in different cities or even countries can be
costly as well as polluting to the environment, so why not
invest in some teleconferencing technology that will reduce the
amount of employee travel.
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