Perfect 5 Ways to Make Your Office More Eco-Friendly

Whether you work in a small office or a large commercial building doesn't mean your workplace can't be green. Creating a greener workplace is very simple and can boost your overall health and wellbeing. So, here are a few green tips to make your office more environmentally friendly. So, let's green up to build a healthy workplace.

Conscious efforts are needed to make our surroundings more environment-friendly. And as people spend a huge chunk of their day and life in the office, hence it should employ tools that can help conserve energy and decrease the uses of non-renewable resources. Nakul Mathur, Managing Director, Avanta India shares some tips:

‘Do you spend more time at the office? Is your office eco-friendly? Creating an environmentally friendly workplace can make you feel more healthy and comfortable throughout the day. So, let's green up today for a healthier tomorrow.’

1. Reduce the use of paper: One should try to use digital copies as much as possible; it not only enables us to save trees but makes documents safer and easier to store. In case, it is extremely important to take printouts, the office should implement a policy of printing on both sides of the paper. To move towards eco-friendly step, offices should also have the policy to use recycled papers wherever the requirement is.

2. Reduce energy consumption: There are multiple ways to achieve this. Turning off the lights in rooms where no one is using will help to reduce power consumption. Switch off computer screens and other electronic devices at the end of the day is an excellent habit to get into. Basically, anything that is not being used, see if you can power it down. Rather than relying on the staff to remember to turn off lights and power down electronics, install motion-activated lights and utilize power-saver modes. Power-saver modes will put computers, printers, and other electronics to sleep, or shut them down entirely.

3. Use reusable containers: There should be a complete ban on using plastic items such as bottles or containers in offices. Employees should be encouraged to always carry jute bags or cloth bags. People should stop consuming juices or other beverages that come in plastic bottles. Inside the premises, the office should only keep reusable containers to be used for drinking water or coffee. This will help in spreading the message that reduces the use of plastic is a major step towards becoming eco-friendly.

4. Recycle etiquette: Install recycling bins at places that are easily accessible for employees. Everyone should be aware of the different bins which are kept to segregate the waste and the usage of those bins in an appropriate manner. This way, we can encourage the employees towards keeping the eco-friendly environment at the office. In fact, if we can recycle around 30 percent of our trash, we will save energy equal to around 12 billion gallons of gasoline.

5. Sustainability team and three 'R's: Basically, being eco-friendly boils down to the three Rs -- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Every office must appoint a sustainability team that will keep an eye on all the employees who follow three R's. The following monthly targets can be set for employees and awards given to encourage everyone to become eco-friendly. This type of regular environment awareness session should also be organized, and every new employee should be informed about the eco-friendly policy.

Source: IANS