You can probably think of several ways to make your office greener, but most of them involve a massive outlay of money for a very small return. That is why this list is made up of eco-methods that offer real value for money. With these methods, you will get more for your investment.
1. Have an Office Dress Code
Companies have dress codes because a certain type of attire sets the tone for the office, which will hopefully be conducive to hard work. However, there are other benefits to a dress code. For example, without a dress code, your employees may come to work in single-layer items in a way that makes them feel the cold a little more. Having a dress code may help avoid having staff come to work in such attire, which means you will not have to pump as much money into your heating systems.
2. Use Recycling Balers & Compactors
The sheer amount of space you save when you use recycling balers and compactors is simply enormous. Yet, such devices are often overlooked because companies do not realize their true benefits.
For example, a company called Tesco receives deliveries in trucks and then returns cardboard within the same truck. This seems efficient, but what if they only needed to return cardboard every 5th truck? The national store would dramatically lower fuel costs because there was no longer a need for returning trucks to dump their cardboard with the recycling department. This is just one of the many benefits of recycling balers and compactors.
3. Turn Your Computers Off at Night
The most common argument against this is that staff waste hours per month by turning on their computers, but it need not be that difficult. Why not have the person who opens up also be the one who turns on all the computers. That way, all the staff member would have to do is sign in, which everyone has to do anyway.
4. Stop Using Styrofoam and/or Paper Cups
It is infuriating how many offices still use disposable cups. Especially when you consider smaller offices where staff would probably be happier being able to use their own cups and glasses. Even if you were to use a dishwasher to wash everybody’s glasses and cups at the end of the day, it would still reduce your carbon footprint more than the sheer weight of trash you are creating by daily throwing away your disposable cups. The same goes for disposable spoons and stirrers.
5. Invest in Stronger Chairs
You may well read that header with a tilted head, but one of the most commonly disposed fixtures are chairs. The cheap and cheerful chairs seem to do the trick, but over the course of a year, they depreciate far more quickly than if you buy a stronger chair.
Instead, go for a comfortable chair that is designed for a heavier person. There are companies that build chairs that can easily hold 28 stones. The chairs are heavy, but that is because they are solidly built, and they last a very long time.
6. Have More Plants in the Office
Plants and greenery create a fresher and nicer feeling around the office, and they will marginally improve the air quality in your office, (though not as much as eco-frauds claim they will because they create CO2 when they are not placed in natural light). The only problem is that many plants require a lot of attention in order to thrive, which means they often become a hassle. You can avoid this by choosing very low maintenance plants such as cactus plants, and certain types of shrub and ivy.
