5 tips for a sustainable office

Achieving a sustainable office is all the rage these days, for multiple reasons. With global efforts to curb global warming, every little thing counts. Also, some trends are starting to take shape with more and more people.

Contents1. Create a sustainability team2. Make an anti-consumer mindset your goal. Be as paperless as possible4. Updating the latest equipment and products5. Keep learning5. Bring some greenery to the officeConclusion

To achieve a sustainable office, however, you need to have a good plan and know what you're doing. While some obvious bad habits can be corrected, there are other issues that most people aren't aware of.

Let's start from the beginning.

1. Create a sustainability team

First of all, creating your own sustainability team is a brilliant idea. Not only can this help educate employees, but they can also have fun through a variety of workshops and brainstorming sessions.

Even people with electric vehicles can go further. Namely, while they may have EV home chargers, let them know the one closest to the office, or even provide one yourself.

Next, consider installing solar panels. Depending on your location and the size of your office space, this option can be both durable and affordable.

Smaller steps can be taken by each individual. For example, anyone can ditch disposables by simply bringing their favorite mug from home.

2. Make an anti-consumer mindset your goal

The biggest problem with the turbulent times we live in is consumerism. We are all "trained" to spend money even on things we don't need, just because we want to be fashionable. Just think of excessive consumption leading to the latest car models and useless new smartphones.

Buying less and buying only the products we need is the first step towards a healthier lifestyle. Look for training ideas and materials online – many people are actually unaware of this glaring fact.

What companies can do to combat this practice is to consume less packaging, waste less and educate the workforce.

3. Be as paperless as possible

The use of paper seems to have become one of the main issues on the agenda, even though new technologies have eliminated the need to print everything. Still, you can take printers out of individual offices and encourage employees to use quality email programs that eliminate the need to print every message.

4. Updating the latest equipment and products

Consider investing in energy-efficient equipment and recycled products if you can't get rid of all the paperwork. Practice will help your workflow in addition to helping the environment.

Needless to say, this step is somewhat costly in the short term, but it is sure to pay off in the long run. While some equipment cannot be fully replaced, there are nevertheless various approaches to make it more environmentally friendly.

Here are some ideas:

• Replace traditional printers with multifunction printers to eliminate the need to use multiple machines for multiple purposes. Choose those with power saving features for best results.
• Refill used ink and toner cartridges.
• Print on both sides of a sheet.
• Buy eco-friendly office supplies whenever possible. For example stapleless staplers and pens that can be refilled.
• Use recycled paper.
• Use recycled plastic products when plastics cannot be replaced.
• Recycle used office supplies.
• Keep computers and monitors up to date. Newer models are more energy efficient than older ones.
• Turn off computers when not in use.
• Replace standard bulbs with CFLs or LED bulbs (these use about 75% less energy than standard bulbs!).
• Paint the office walls in light colors so that less lighting is needed.
• Use cloth towels or hand dryers instead of paper towels.
• Use only environmentally friendly cleaning products.

5. Keep learning

Continuous learning is the best approach to solving any type of problem and sustainability is no exception. Consider bringing in a guest speaker to help present unique ideas. In addition, there are also online courses for teams applying a number of training methods to be accessible to everyone. Search for the offer and choose the best plan.

Believe it or not, some "green endeavors" are all the rage. It is essential to stay informed at all times as new initiatives are emerging and some of them may be promotional and beneficial in the long term.

5. Bring some greenery to the office

Remember those small steps anyone can take that we mentioned earlier? Bringing greenery to the office is a good example since anyone can do it and with ease.

The only thing you should consider here is which plants can thrive in the given environment. Although each workspace has specific conditions, some plants are always easier to grow than others. Notable examples include Devil's Ivy, Snake Plants, Succulents, Peace Lily, Jade Plants, ZZ Plants, and Bamboos.

Conclusion

Going green is, as you can see, a way of life. While anyone can start small, the real challenge is adapting to new habits. It doesn't have to be difficult or cumbersome in any way. Start small:encourage employees to bring a plant and their favorite mug, use eco-friendly materials, paint the workspace bright colors to save on energy consumption, etc.

Most importantly, make learning fun for everyone. You might be surprised how many of your employees might have brilliant ideas in this regard.