6 Tips For More Sustainable Office Changes

Julie Starr • Sep 12, 2021

Many people are familiar with the term “green office,” but not everyone knows what it means. Green offices are becoming more popular, as many companies take steps to be environmentally conscious and reduce their carbon footprint. There are plenty of changes that can be made in an office environment to make it more sustainable.

Do You Really Need It Printed?
Don’t print paper when you don’t have to. Don’t actually need something printed? Ask yourself if it’s even necessary at all. You can save a lot of paper and money by using electronic documents and digital files instead of printing everything out. If you must print, make sure that your printer is set for double-sided prints whenever possible. This will cut down on the amount of ink or toner needed, saving both time and resources in office supplies too.

Declutter

Get rid of old stuff that isn’t being used anymore before moving into a new office space. A simple way to reduce waste in the office is by getting rid of anything not currently being used within the company. Whether it means outdated equipment or unused furniture, it’s vital to get rid of all the clutter before you move into a new, smaller office space. This will reduce your overall waste output and make sure that everything is in good working condition for when you actually need it. Any old equipment or furniture, sell it and put the money back into your business.

Carpooling

Encourage employees to carpool or use public transportation whenever possible. Suppose every employee took part in carpools and used public transit instead of driving by themselves. In that case, they could cut down on carbon emissions from their own personal vehicles and decrease traffic congestion around the area. It’ll be a win-win situation.

Eco-friendly Cleaning Supplies

Use eco-friendly cleaning supplies throughout your whole business, including housekeeping services. You should have green products readily available in work areas and supply them with enough materials so that office cleaning services can use them as well. This will help ensure that you’re not generating any toxic fumes and chemicals throughout the office space.

Recycle Bins

Make recycling bins easily accessible and encourage employees to recycle items like paper, plastic bags, old clothing, or food scraps. You might think your company is small enough where it won’t produce much waste. However, chances are that a lot of recyclable materials are still going into landfills instead of being recycled properly. It doesn’t take long before even a small amount turns into tons of garbage that need to be stored somewhere for years on end if necessary. The best thing about recycling in an eco-friendly workplace is how easy it is to accomplish. Just place some clearly marked containers near the area where people tend to congregate, and you’re all set.

Paper Towels

Encourage employees to use fewer paper towels in the restroom. It seems like a good idea at first glance. Why not just provide people with more paper towels? However, this actually doesn’t do much for the environment because it means that they’ll be using up more of them instead of reusing one towel over and over again. This is definitely something where small changes can make a big difference.

Every office should implement some changes that make it a little greener each day. Even if it’s as small as replacing your regular air filters with air filter media material . This will help the environment and your bottom line because sustainable companies tend to perform better financially than those who don’t focus on environmental issues. Implementing these green practices can also improve morale among employees, which makes everyone happier about going to work each day.

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Keep Your Business Comfortable And Yet Sustainable

By Julie Starr • 11 May, 2024

Keeping your business comfortable and yet sustainable is a great idea. By keeping your business sustainable, you are doing your part for the planet, ensuring that you are doing something to take care of it. A lot of businesses don’t bother with this, but that’s the problem. You need to be different, and work out how you’re going to keep your business comfortable and sustainable at the same time. That’s what we’re going to be working on today, so keep reading if you’re interested in learning more. How Are You Powering Your Locations? The first thing that we’re going to say is that you need to think about how you are powering your locations. Whether it’s a business office, a warehouse, or any other large space, you need to think about the way that you are powering it. If you are using traditional electricity then you’re going to be contributing to part of the problem. We only have so much fossil fuel available, and it’s killing the planet to use. It’s a better idea to use a renewable form of power such as solar or wind, depending on where you live and the weather conditions. Look into this as an option if you can. We’re not saying that you have to completely rely on one or the other, you could use a combination as well as traditional power. Any power that’s coming from somewhere else is a bonus! Keep The Spaces Comfortable For Employees Employees work in a variety of places for your business. Again, perhaps some work in an office, some work in a warehouse, and some work in other locations, but they all need to be kept comfortable. For example, if we take the warehouse and you think about it, it’s not that comfortable, right? You’re not going to have couches and plush chairs all over the place, but you can still make it as comfortable as possible. You could use an industrial drum fan or something similar to keep the space cool, ensuring that your employees are content working there. Ensure Recycling Is A Top Priority The final important point that we want to make is that you should ensure that recycling is a top priority . It has been pushed on people for a long time now, and it’s essential that you are doing this to the best of your ability. Reusing materials wherever possible gives your company a more sustainable approach to business, setting the example for others. Recycling is the very least that you can do, it’s not hard, but it makes a world of difference to the planet. We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be doing to ensure that your business is comfortable and sustainable. We do understand that for some companies this is going to be a little more difficult than others, but there are always ways if you are dedicated enough. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you manage going forward.

Is Your Small Business an Appealing Place to Work?

By Julie Starr • 07 May, 2024

Bringing passionate, enthusiastic and talented people into your business is obviously a top priority when you’re growing a company. However, the only way to onboard the brightest talent is by ensuring that your brand is an appealing place to work. Driven employees have certain expectations when it comes to choosing their ideal workplace, so you need to show them what you have to offer. Whether you’re looking into your business ethos , or reassessing certain compensation plans, you can do so much to ensure you’re attracting the best possible employees. Consider some of the following methods and your small business will soon be the go-to place for skilled, driven and talented individuals to work. Pay and Benefits Should Be Competitive When you’re running a small business, the idea of paying regular salaries to your employees will always be on your mind. Keeping up with bills and ever rising costs will never be easy, but you have to offer a competitive salary in order to attract the right type of people to your business. You should also consider all elements of a compensation plan so that your employees always feel valued for their contributions at your workplace. It may be worth talking to your current staff members to see what would be most important to them so you can assess it in the near future. Create a Career Development Plan Working towards the next goal is certainly something that most career driven individuals are keen to do. Staying stagnant in the same role for a prolonged period of time can reduce motivation and cause issues with staff retention. Making sure that there are clear progression opportunities will help to bring in the most talented and focused employees who are willing to put in the work and climb the ladder within your business. Adopt an Eco-Conscious Approach More and more employees are looking for workplaces that put the environment at the forefront and actively choose sustainable processes. Taking care of the planet and going green with your business may help you to align with the right talent for your company. Although this might not be the priority of everyone, it’s certainly a very popular value that a number of people carry in the modern day. Working in an environment where sustainability is a priority is extremely appealing and these people will help you to work alongside like minded colleagues within your business. Your small business goes above and beyond you as an individual; it’s also about the people who work for you and the potential employees you could be onboarding very soon. You can be sure that you’re reaching out to the right type of people and attracting the best possible talent by offering competitive salaries and benefits and working in a sustainable way that always keeps the environment in mind too. Hopefully, these ideas will give you a huge advantage when it comes to bringing in new people who would be an asset to your business.