It's no secret that sadly we are having a very negative impact on our planet and the environment we live in. Thankfully, the subject is now being brought up more than ever and as a nation we are encouraging and inviting people to think about their lifestyle choices, and see how they can be altered to prevent further damage to our environment.
And these changes don't just have to come from your households. There are various ways in which we can implement these changes at work too. Seareach recently conducted a survey to find out which factors play an important part in improving our workspaces by going green. Whether you work in shared offices, or work at an at home office like me, these easy tips are something we can all do to play our part in saving our planet.
1. Go paperless
Seareach found that going paperless will actually have the biggest impact of all the points. Instead of having piles upon piles of papers, and files, storing everything digitally and ultimately reducing the amount of paper used is definitley the way forward with going greener.
2. Recycling Bins
Now it may seem like an obvious choice to simply recycle, but in the workplace it's not always that simple. Think about it, whilst at home we often separate our rubbish to recycle, but we don't tend to do this at work. Usually this is because in the office, clearly labelled recycling bins aren't available, or we're not made aware of them. By changing this, you can encourage those at work to consciously separate their items into the appropriate bins.
3. Use Solar Panels
Solar panels are made out of Photovoltaic cells that convert the sun's energy into electricity. Installing solar panels will provide you with a green renewable energy source in which you can run lighting, and run any appliances around the office.
4. Switch to LED bulbs
Another sure way to reduce the amount of energy being consumed, is switching your light bulbs to LED bulbs. Not only can this reduce energy consumption by up to 75%, but it is also very cost effective so will save you money in the long run!
5. Green heating
Switching to 'Green' heating is an alternative way of generating energy that can be renewable, and sustainable. Not only that, but they can also be cheap and easy to install! These sources of energy don't cause pollution in the same way as traditional fossil fuels. For example, heating your homes and workspaces using coal or gas pollutes the air as it needs to be burned.
6. Reusable bottles
Encouraging people around the workplace to bring in their own water bottles is a simple, and small step which can have a big impact on the environment. By doing so, you are reducing the number of discarded plastic used in and around the office.
7. Install bike facilities
For those who live close by, cycling to work could be an option for them instead of driving. Installing bike racks can encourage employees to do so, and ultimately reducing the amount of pollution created by driving unnecessarily.
8. Electric Car Charging
And for those who maybe live a little further away, and simply can't cycle to work there is always more eco friendly ways to drive. Electric cars are more greener to run and are more energy efficient by up to 85%. For anyone in the office who does have an electric car, make sure you have charging points at your workplace installed for them!
9. Motion detection Lighting
Another small step you can do to reduce energy consumption is install motion detection lighting. This can be ideal for larger workplaces where rooms can often be left unattended and unused for periods of time.
10. Plants & Natural Light Sources
And my final tip is to optimise any natural sources you can in the office. Try placing desks near any windows you may have to minimise the use of artificial lighting. You can also decorate offices with various plants and flowers which are not only aesthetically pleasing, but will help oxygenate the work space, providing fresh clean air and an overall better environment.