The idea of eco-friendly offices has been trendy for a while but it’s been receiving even more attention recently. As the green movement progresses, so do the solutions that make the transition easier and more effective.
Many companies are initiating sustainable business campaigns because they care for our planet while others simply want to satisfy the consumer demand for eco-friendly products. Your choice to turn the office into a more eco-friendly environment can be based on different reasons. Whether it’s your ethical beliefs or the company’s marketing strategy, a green office will still leave a better impact on the environment.
Go for it to cut down on your expenses, protect the environment and boost your brand image all at once. There are thoughtful eco-friendly solutions that can amplify your brand image while keeping harm to a minimum. For instance, LED illuminated lobby signs can be used as alternatives to traditional branding logos and there’s plenty more.
Let’s delve in and see what steps you can take to “go green” and transform your office into an environmentally sustainable zone.
Renewable Energy Sources
First and foremost, the transformation towards an eco-friendly office addresses the need for updating energy sources.
At present, it’s much easier to consider alternative and renewable means of power production. For instance, once quite expensive, solar panels are much more accessible today. Considering long-term benefits such as energy independence, they prove to be well worth the investment.
Efficiency in operational resources can be improved by converting to green sources of energy like biofuels and wind or tidal power. You can connect to smart grids to counteract any weather inconsistencies. With technology being connected to so many aspects of our lives, it’s not surprising that it’s also used for solving sustainability issues. For instance, technology has proven effective in energy conservation and outage prevention, thereby allowing companies to benefit from lower costs. One good example is a smart microgrid that saved one California communityover $200,000 per year and reduced carbon emissions by 200 tons.
Choose Eco-Friendly Alternatives
If you have environmental protection on your priority list then you must look for less harmful substitutes for everyday items. Office supplies are a good place to start as they have many green alternatives. Here are the most common ones that can be replaced by eco-friendly equivalents.
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Desk supplies
Instead of plastic pens and notebooks, you can go for options that are made of eco-friendly materials. One such item are single-use pens that go into the trash bin once their ink runs out. Why not go for refillable or compostable alternatives that won’t create excess waste? You can also replace products like notebooks with ones made of recycled paper as well as encourage your employees to reduce paper consumption by using digital notes when applicable.
It’s important to be mindful of all the devices and equipment being used in the office. Effective electronic asset recycling can help reduce e-waste and its environmental impact. Consider using refurbished equipment, which uses fewer resources to produce than new devices.
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Green everything
The “eco-office” is a bigger concept than it may seem at first. Every single detail of your practice counts. It takes into account everything from cutlery and kitchen appliances to washroom supplies and faucets. People throw away tons of waste every single day in the form of plastic cups, paper towels and so on. Considering there are about 260 working days, that adds up to quite a lot. Fortunately, easy solutions to this dilemma do exist. Cleaning up messes in the kitchen with cloth instead of paper towels is one of them. You can also substitute washroom tissues with hand dryers. The list goes on and on from bamboo straws to water efficient sinks.
Go Eco With Natural Light
Lighting is an obvious source of pollution you can work on to make an office space more sustainable.
If you have large windows that let in a lot of natural light, you can reorganize the office in a way that optimizes it. Adjusting the office layout will enable you to save on electric bills as well as become less reliant on artificial lights. You can switch lights off during the daytime and reduce energy consumption by a notable margin. Even if turning off lights isn’t practical all the time, you can still apply this practice during fixed hours or in areas where it makes the most sense. An extra note to encourage the transition is that natural light is said to increase productivity.
In case you don’t get sufficient lighting, you can still take steps to increase energy efficiency in your workplace. It’s here that LED or fluorescent light bulbs come into play. LED lights now come in the same level of brightness as their less environmentally friendly incandescent counterparts. They’re 75% more energy efficient and last 20 times longer, making them the smartest option in the market.
A bonus idea: You can use motion-activated light switches for office rooms that are less frequently used. This is a smart choice for areas like break rooms, hallways and meeting rooms. Rest assured that forgetting to turn the lights off won’t be a cause for concern anymore.
Go Eco and Smart
Smart plugs are an advanced and cost-effective way to upgrade any electrical device. They allow you to switch electronics on and off remotely or at set times. These innovative gadgets can save you both energy and money in the long run. With their help, you won’t run the risk of leaving PCs and other devices on while they’re not in use. Why is this important? Simply because large appliances like printers can waste energy 24 hours a day unless they’re turned off. With smart plugs, you can control their operation both manually or via a smartphone app. By enabling timers, the devices will switch off automatically at set times of the day, eliminating the possibility of anyone forgetting to do so.
We often wish for a magic wand to make our dreams come true. Well now there are things like magical “eco buttons” to help realize the wish of many business owners, which is to save money. These retrofit USB plugs connect to electronic devices and set them to sleep mode. Whether you’re about to take a lunch break or go out for a long meeting, you can put your PC into energy-saving mode by simply pressing a button. There are many green-minded tech advancements with this type of function so make sure you do a little research and get the ones that suit your office best.
Conclusion
Creating an eco-friendly office requires innovative ideas along with the dedication to implement. Yet with advanced technology and a bit of research, transitioning towards an environmentally friendly lifestyle in the office is easier than ever. You can redesign your office space to ensure sustainability by implementing the steps mentioned above. They might require an initial investment but they’ll pay off in the long run and are certainly worth the effort. Remember that being responsible consumers is not only beneficial for the planet but also our own well-being. Why not start by taking simple actions.
