Saving the planet is not something anyone should simply shrug their shoulders about and refrain from taking responsibility. Sustainability is something we need to think carefully about, in order to prevent further damage from occurring in the future, but also to try our best to possibly reverse some of the damage that has been done already.
Climate change is a hot topic, and it is a vital one to talk about. This goes further than simply talking about how to be more ‘green’, and it goes into the realms of making a business more financially sustainable too. Sustainability is a two-pronged monster to address, but there are many ways you can do your best for the environment, whilst also boosting your workplace performance too.
What Exactly is Sustainability?
Being sustainable means that a business is able to survive, it is able to be financially secure, and it is also able to do its bit for the environment too. We’re going to talk about many different ways to do just that, but from a first point of view, sustainability is about a business and its survival.
Cash cannot be thrown away needlessly, and staff need to be able to work in the most productive way. One size doesn’t fit all, so it is also about knowing your staff individually and how to get the best out of them. This could be about changing up the way they work, pulling together teams, and perhaps allowing different working practices to be incorporated into your organisation.
Saving money also means that you will be able to improve the working environment much more easily. Ironically, this also means that you can work into this ways to do your bit for climate change endeavours. We’re going to talk about how you can combine these two issues.
Incorporating a Recycling/Waste Avoidance Mind-Set
Imprinting the importance of recycling, avoiding waste, and thinking before printing is a vital way to think. This can be done via training, and it can be done via the policies that are worked into the office and its procedures. For instance, this can include:
- Using recycled paper
- Having recycling bins strategically placed around the office
- Having a ‘think before you print’ policy – does this really need to be printed out?
- Printing back to back
- Printing only in black ink, and not colour
- Using refillable ink cartridges, which are recycled
Incorporating this sustainable way of thinking not only saves the company money, but it does a lot to look after the planet at the same time. These procedures will become second nature to employees, and as a result this means that there will be very little waste.
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Being Very Careful With New Purchases
Old office equipment can take up more energy than new ones. This is because new equipment has been designed to be more energy efficient, so it saves you cash on your bills and it saves the planet at the same time. You could think about purchasing a multifunction type of machine, rather than individual fax machines, photocopiers, printers, etc.
In addition, using furniture made of sustainable and long-lasting materials will also ensure that money isn’t wasted, and that furniture lasts for a long period of time. Office desks and office seating, do not need to be replaced every few years, not if you purchase high-quality goods. Workstations will therefore save you cash!
Be Energy Aware
Of course, being sustainable and energy aware go hand in hand. This means not leaving equipment on standby, turning off lights that aren’t needed, etc. This could potentially be done by installing motion sensor lighting mechanisms, so that when the room isn’t in use, the lights aren’t on.
At the end of the working day, ensure that all machines are turned off, and not left to ‘sleep’. This alone can cost a business a huge amount of money over a year, as well as not doing the greatest benefit to the planet overall.
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Encourage Your Staff
There are many ways to get the most out of your workforce, and you can incorporate a few planet saving endeavours into this too. For instance, you could encourage staff to car share, rather than drive to work individually, or you could offer an incentive to walk to work, if at all possible. You could also look into changing working patterns, so perhaps thinking about offering homeworking opportunities in certain situations, which enables staff to work at home on certain days of the week.
Ensuring your staff are happy and healthy is another way to be sustainable, so that means looking at the environment in which they work. Staff need to be comfortable and they need to be able to contribute and collaborate. Office interiors need to encourage them, as well as looking into modern and easy to clean furniture options, such as glass top office furniture. Of course, what you clean them with is vital, so always go down the route of planet-friendly cleaning products.
The ironic thing about encouraging a more green approach in your workforce is that these measures also encourage a higher amount of productivity. Recycling saves money, having a comfortable workspace gets the best out of your staff, saving money on energy bills ensures the business continues to tick over – these issues benefit all.
So, maybe it’s time you did a good and thorough assessment of your workplace. If there are any areas where you can improve, it’s time to do just that. Climate change is already far advanced, but by doing your bit, you can slow down that ticking clock, and save your business money at the same time.