7 Tips to Create a Green Office Environment

If you’re a business owner, your responsibilities include your workers, office, and nature. Aside from taking care of your office, taking care of your employees is also as important. One way of doing this is by allowing third-party companies to provide a healthy vending snack delivery. Furthermore, workers spend plenty of time in their office spaces, so it’s crucial to find one that’s comfortable for everyone. Find the perfect office space on Gumtree. And when you have found your office space, going green and creating a green office environment should be one of your next objectives.

Your usual office presents plenty of opportunities to go green. From monitoring and controlling your usage of electrical resources to choosing carefully the office supplies you use, there are tons of things to do to help save the environment.

Here are some environmentally friendly tips to create a green office environment:

General Tips

These are things that you and your employees should do whenever you are in the office. Little things like these can make a huge impact when done habitually.

• Position a recycling center in a noticeable part of the office. If recycling containers take up a lot of space, place a waste paper recycling bin near printers and another one in the staffroom. Make it a habit of emptying the boxes regularly.
• Discourage the use of disposable utensils. Instead, use “real” glasses, mugs, cutlery, and dishes, which just take seconds to wash.
• Place plants in the office. They don’t just add pleasantry; they are also great for air recycling. If you have a home office, you can check out going green tips here.
• Ensure that the cleaning products used in your office are not harmful to the environment.
• As much as possible, require documents to be submitted electronically and only print them when necessary. If something needs to be printed, print one copy for each department instead of printing a copy for each employee.
• Ask clients if they want their receipts before printing them out.
• Use whiteboards or projectors during meetings when discussing agenda instead of printing copies.
• Use rechargeable batteries to save money over time and to help minimize the number of toxic materials sent to garbage dumps.
• Procure only earth-friendly goods for the office.

Office Supplies Tips

Office supplies can be trimmed down or, with the right choices, can also help your office go green.

• Aim for green products like refillable pens or markers and staple-less staplers.
• Purchase office products that are created using post-consumer content, which are materials that were already used and collected to be rebuilt into new ones. Staplers and papers with post-consumer content are now readily available on the market.
• Avoid or minimize the use of products that don’t have green alternatives, such as rubber bands.

Printer Tips

Choosing an eco-friendly printer is important, too!

• Choose a multifunction printer rather than separate machines for different functions. Also, choose a printer with energy-saving features or the ability to print on both sides of the paper (duplexing).
• Use recycled paper.
• Save paper by printing on both sides.
• Use the eco-mode option of your printer.
• Recycle used or empty toner and ink cartridges.

Computer Tips

Since most offices work with computers, these machines contribute to the use of essential resources.

• Make it a habit to turn off computers when they’re not in use.
• Be familiar with your computer settings for standby mode. Computers that are not used for a certain period should automatically go into this mode.
• Update your computer equipment regularly. Modern computers and monitors use less energy than older computer units.

Lighting Tips

Applying the following lighting tips can also help an office save energy.

• Turn on lights in rooms only when needed. For example, only turn on the lights in the restroom when you use them.
• Use LED or compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) instead of incandescent bulbs.
• Before you all go home, make sure to turn off all the lights.
• Use a light color of paint in your office walls to make your office reflect daylight more effectively. This way, you need less lighting. Utilizing natural light to light your office is an incredible way not only to save money on electricity but also to conserve resources.

Heater and Air Conditioner Tips

Heaters and air conditioners contribute largely to the use of office resources. Knowing how to use them properly will help conserve energy.

• Ensure that you maintain the heat in your office at 21 °C when you are in the office and 16 °C when unoccupied. Ensure that the heating and cooling set points are 2 °C to 3 °C to prevent the air conditioner from frequently cycling (turning on and off).
• Utilize caulking or weather stripping to minimize heat loss from doors and windows.

Washroom Tips

Each one has to contribute to making the office go green. Follow these tips to make your office more earth-friendly.

• Use hand dryers or cloth towels and ditch the paper towels.
• Turn off taps appropriately, making sure they’re not dripping. Even if a faucet leaks just a drop every second, it wastes more than 25 liters of water each day!
• Use low-flow faucet aerators to minimize the flow of water from taps.
• Have continuously running toilets fixed. These are wasting away plenty of water when they could be easily fixed.
• Choose only eco-friendly washroom cleaning products.

Final Thoughts

Conserving energy in the workplace can make a huge difference in minimizing your office’s carbon footprint. Because workers spend a lot of time in their workplace, it’s as important as their home. Encourage all workers to practice all these tips to help achieve a green office environment.

What are your tips for creating a greener office environment?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.