Sustainability has the power to unite staff to create a better work culture and work-life balance, and has a great impact on customers and the world.
A healthy and sustainable workplace correlates to happier employees and as a result increases employee productivity, and lessens work-related illnesses. Developing an eco-sensible workplace begins on the ground level as people need to believe in these values and practice eco-friendly habits in the office for the objective of sustainability.
Sustainability is not only good for the environment, but it also helps to reduce overheads of a business, improves the health of employees, and attract customers who are looking to do business with eco-friendly brands.
Following are some examples of renewable initiatives you can implement to encourage an environmentally conscious workplace for your employees and staff.
A great way of encouraging mindfulness is to implement a recycling program. It’s easier than ever to now separate and recycle our waste so that the material can be reused. We recommend implementing Ecobin waste stations in the office for separating your waste at the time you throw it out. Utilising Industry-standard waste stream colours makes it quick and easy for Staff to correctly dispose of their waste. Blue for paper, Yellow for Mixed Recycling, Green for Food Waste, White for Soft Plastic and Red for Landfill. Did you know that 80% of what is sent to landfill can be recycled! Help divert less to landfill at every opportunity you and your staff get.
Printing documents which have very little or no future purpose should be avoided. We can easily communicate and share documents using emails, Dropbox, Google Drive etc. The best practice is to only print what is necessary and in these cases, using both sides of the paper.
When paper use is unavoidable we recommend using recycled paper instead of virgin paper. Recycled paper helps preserve forests and uses less resources to produce than virgin paper.
By conserving energy at our desk, we support long term ecological balance. Explore the possibility of updating your office electronic equipment to energy-efficient models as equipment nears the end of its life. Turning off all the lights, fans, ACs, computer screens, printers etc outside of office hours or during breaks can help significantly in reducing energy usage.
Invest in quality reusable water bottles which in the long term will save you money and reduce the enormous quantity of single-use plastic bottles sent to landfill unnecessarily. Start enjoying your takeaway coffee from your own reusable cup instead of disposable paper cups which unfortunately can’t be recycled due to their invisible wax lining.
Placing greenery around the workplace can help to freshen up workspaces, lift the overall atmosphere and clean the air, bonus! It has been proven that indoor plants can reduce up to 87% of indoor air pollutants within twenty-four hours, wow
Finally, you might like to assemble a Green Team who share in the united environmental vision and inspire them to develop new initiatives. By implementing a series of sustainable practises in your workplace it will not only benefit you and your staff today, but also well into the future by changing waste and eco-conscious habits one at a time.