There are some problems in the world which are so huge, it’s hard to know where to start in terms of tackling them. As a result, it’s easy to do nothing. The problem is, some of those problems spiral so badly out of control that they’re an almost unstoppable force.

Climate change is a problem which started off as a small itch, it was ignored for a long time, and now we’re opening our eyes to a huge catastrophe that could happen on our own doorsteps. 

This is a huge issue, a problem which encompasses the entire world, and one which a few actions by one person alone is not going to fix. If we want to reverse some of the damage which has been done, and if we want to preserve this beautiful planet of ours for many durations to come, we have to take action NOW!

You might wonder what you can do. You’re just one person on a planet of millions, but if every single one of us makes even a slight effort, that will turn into a cumulative snowball effect that could literally change the world.

This guide is going to talk about climate change as a whole, but also what your office can do to help in the battle against future detrimental effects. You might be sitting at your office chairs, gazing out of the window at the rain and wondering what the issue is, but far away, the polar ice cap is melting at an alarming rate. The Arctic is warmer than it has ever been and whilst you might think this doesn’t affect you so far away, that melted ice turns into water, and that water has to go somewhere. 

The world is getting hotter, the ozone layer is getting thinner, greenhouse gases are increasing, our oceans are full of plastic, global warming is a very real thing, and all of this could be truly catastrophic for our children and our children’s children. Activists aren’t marching on an almost weekly basis for no reason, they’re attempting to raise awareness to a problem which is threatening to throw our entire planet into chaos. 

We’re not attempting to cause panic or make you think that a scene from The Day After Tomorrow is about to occur, but understanding how serious all of this is, is vital. What can you do about it? Plenty. What can your office do about it? Even more!

A Little Background Information About Climate Change

There are many terms and statements being thrown around in the news at the moment and it’s easy to get confused and not really understand which is which. To help give you a little background before we go on to talk about how your office can help in the battle against climate change, check out this video, which outlines exactly what the problem is. 

The weather is getting hotter and weirder every single year, our oceans are warming, ice is melting, and none of this is normal. If the rate of acceleration continues, we’re looking at a very bleak picture indeed. Of course, we can’t completely turn back the clock on what has already been done, but we can keep things steady and perhaps slow the effects of climate change down. 

That means making small changes which add up to huge effects, and if everyone does something small every day in the battle against climate change, we will see huge improvements worldwide. 

You might also have heard politicians talking about trying to keep the world at 1.5 degrees increase in temperature and not heading towards 2 degrees. It’s hard to understand why that is so important, after all, it’s only half a degree, but check out this infographic to learn about why that half a degree matters so much. 

Source - https://visme.co/blog/climate-change-facts/

Now can you understand why this subject is so important?

How Your Office Might be Damaging The Environment

So, where does the modern office come into all of this?

There are several ways which the modern office may be contributing to environmental issues and many ways which office workers may contribute without even thinking about it. 

Some of the most common issues are: 

• Office furniture which emits CO2 emissions
• Leaving electrical equipment on standby when not in use
• Leaving lights on all night, when not necessary 
• Using too much paper and throwing it in the regular trash
• Failing to recycle plastic and other materials 
• Office workers driving to work in individual cars
• Using harmful methods of energy over the long-term
• Using non-organic produce in canteens and snack bars

How many of those problems do you see on a daily basis in your office? When you leave your office desks during the evening, do you switch off your computer monitor, or do you leave the standby light on until the next morning? By doing that very small action, you’re actually contributing to environmental issues, which add up to huge climate change problems over the long-term.

Can you see how very small actions turn into huge mountains over time? It’s also the case that the smallest of solutions can change those mountains into literal molehills over the long-term too. 

Here at Calibre Office Furniture, we place a huge amount of importance on environmental issues, understanding just how vital a subject this really is. It’s easy to brush everything under the carpet and assume that your workplace isn’t actually causing any issues in this regard, but almost every action we do on a daily basis has some kind of repercussions. In that case, it’s really about being more mindful of our actions and thinking in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way. 

Never fear, however! We’re going to talk about how you can make changes in your office space and become more sustainable and environmentally friendly in general. You’ll find many plus points from doing this; not only will you gain precious karma points, but you’ll make a huge difference for the future and you’ll also boost the morale within your office. 

By focusing on being more ‘green’, you’re showing your employees that you care about the bigger picture and not just the profitability of your business. Perhaps having regular gatherings around the meeting room seating on issues such as this, and brainstorming ideas, could be a great way to boost morale and actually make a difference.

The 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Lately, we’ve heard a huge amount about the effect of plastic in our oceans. According to a study published in the Journal of Science back in 2015, at that time our oceans contained plastic to the tune of 4.8-12.7 million tonnes. When you consider those statistics are from a few years ago, you can assume that number has drastically increased since then. 

Of course, it’s not only plastic we have to be concerned about, but any type of material which isn’t naturally biodegradable. This means a material doesn’t break down naturally and therefore causes a pollution issue. 

The 3 Rs help to make this whole issue simpler and it’s something you can adopt within your office space. There are likely to be papers, bottles, plastics, containers and even aerosols which are thrown away into the rubbish every single day from your office, and these can all be recycled and used again, reducing their damage to the environment. 

Check out this infographic which introduces you to the 3 Rs. 

Source - https://www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/change-the-way-you-live/reduce-reuse-recycle#gs.dhwo0y

To break it down, the 3 Rs are: 

• Reduce - Purchase any type of item which doesn’t use a huge amount of packaging, so you cut down on the amount of rubbish and waste your office is producing. This could mean purchasing office supplies with no excess packaging or opting for recycled paper in the first place, rather than the highest quality options. 
• Reuse - Use things more than once. This can be in the office itself or via personal use. For instance, you could give your employees a reusable water bottle and encourage them to fill it up at the water fountains, rather than purchasing plastic bottles of water at the local shop and then throwing them away. There are countless items you can reuse, and it simply means thinking a little outside of the box. 
• Recycle - Have separate bins for different types of waste and send them to a recycling centre to be sorted and recycled appropriately. Yes, this means ensuring that staff know which bins to put which item in, but that’s a very small amount of training, which adds up to a very large effect over the long-term. 

Going paperless is a great way to cut down on waste and also become more productive over the long-term, however, this is not an easy option to achieve. We will discuss paperless offices in a little more detail shortly, but for now, simply bear in mind that cutting down on the amount of paper-based waste you have in your office will have a huge effect. 

The following items can be recycled: 

• Paper, including documents you print out, newspapers, items of mail and magazines
• Cardboard, including large boxes which can be used again and then recycled when you can’t use them anymore
• Glass bottles and jars
• Cartons, e.g. milk or juice
• Plastic bottles and containers, however, remember to rinse them out and remove the lids
• Cans made of steel or aluminium 
• Empty aerosol cans made of steel or aluminium 

That list covers a huge amount of items which you might throw out of your office every single day, so incorporating recycling bins into your contemporary office design, or having bins on the outside of your space, will ensure that your office is really doing its bit for the environment. 

The plastic issue in the oceans is certainly huge news at the moment, but it’s nothing new in reality. This is a problem which has been growing steadily over the last few years, but like every huge problem that nobody is quite sure how to tackle, we turn a blind eye. It’s now reached the point where nobody can turn away from the effects that plastic is having on our oceans and beyond. The problem is, not all types of plastic can be recycled and once your bottles make it to the recycling centre, they will be sorted into types of plastic, and the recyclable types identified. 

Being mindful of the 3 Rs is certainly something you can do from the comfort of your high end office desks, ensuring that less waste is generated. 

All you need to do from a management point of view is find somewhere safe and secure to store recycling bins, ensure that they’re not in the way and causing a health and safety issue and that they’re not causing a fire hazard. You then need to arrange to have these collected on a regular basis and train your staff on which items to put into which bin. 

This infographic is a useful tool to show your employees how to recycle in the office environment.

Source - https://www.drawgroup.com/create/latest/useful-tips-for-office-recycling-infographic/ 

Renewable Energy Sources For Your Office

Not all businesses have the immediate budget to change their energy supply and switch to a renewable source, but it’s certainly something to learn more about and make the switch if you can. 

Renewable energy sources include things like solar power, wind power, geothermal power, hydropower and even tidal power and all of the above have a very low impact on the environment. Of course, we’re not going to run out of sun or wind any time soon, so they’re also a constant and are replenished naturally, without any effort. 

The only issue is the cost of switching from your regular energy supply method to a renewable option, but shopping around and doing your research will allow you to find out if this is something you can do sooner rather than later. Solar power for offices is certainly becoming more and more widely available, with many companies offering discount and programmes to businesses wishing to switch. This is something you can look into in a little more detail if solar power interests you as a business. 

Of course, switching to renewable sources of energy might have a high cost at the point of installation but after that, you’re saving cash on your energy bills every single month. As a result, you’re running a much more cost effective business and making shrewd decisions on saving cash over the long-term. 

Check out this video which gives a few insights into the renewable energy industry as a whole. It’s certainly interesting to learn more about it!

By avoiding fossil fuels, coal and other damaging forms of energy over the long-term, we can do a lot to reduce climate change effects. Of course, this is also something you can consider for your home environment too and doesn’t just apply to the office space.

How Electricals And Office Furniture Damage The Environment

In order for an office to be productive, it needs to have the best office furniture and the right types of electricals to get the job done. Without these, it’s just a room with nothing actually happening inside it! Despite that, there are some ways which the furniture you choose and the way you use your electricals can damage the environment and also increase your electricity bills every single month. 

If you want to run an environmentally sustainable office, you need to think creatively and consider whether your actions are damaging or benefitting the common cause we’re all fighting for. Of course, this actually comes down to some very simple rules:

• Always turn lights off when you leave a room and light is not needed, e.g. no one else is in there
• Avoid leaving electrical equipment on standby when not in use, especially overnight
• Only use electrical equipment when necessary, e.g. don’t print out long documents if you don’t really need them. Not only does this waste power, but it also wastes paper too
• Avoid using the heating or air conditioning when not necessary and look for natural temperature control methods instead. Obviously, this is easier if you want to cool a room down, as you would simply open a window, but heating could be a little trickier! 

So how does your furniture come into all of this? Could your round office desk actually be the cause of a climate problem?

Whilst one table probably isn’t going to cause the downfall of the world as we know it, several tables together over the long-term, if they’re made of the wrong material, could actually have a very detrimental effect on the environment.

This is because certain types of furniture actually let off CO2 emissions and we know that these are officially bad! Opting for wooden furniture is a good choice here, as these are natural and can reduce emissions within your office space. Plastic options are thought to be the worst, however, newer types of plastic furniture options are more environmentally friendly. This is something you need to look into when purchasing any type of furniture.

Of course, you also need to make sure that you replace your electricals as they age. Anything over 10 years of age is not going to be as energy-efficient as a newer model would be. This means that they’re using more energy to create the same effect as the newer model, damaging the environment in the process and increasing your electricity bill. 

Replace your electricals when they start to reach the 10-year mark, and as they break and need replacing look for options which have five stars in the energy efficiency rating stakes. Before you replace huge pieces of equipment such as this, have a brainstorming session at your boardroom chair and come up with the best option all around. This also goes for equipment such as water boilers, which are certainly more energy efficient these days than ever before. 

Achieving Your Paperless Aim

Ah, the battle we’ve all been trying to win and few have actually managed - achieving the paperless status.

Going paperless has been on the radar for years and years, but few businesses have actually managed to cut out paper altogether and maintain it. 

The fact is, going paperless not only saves you money but it also cuts down on waste and reduces the amount of energy you use from printing. 

Check out this video which talks about why paperless offices are a good idea and a few ideas on how to achieve it. 

It might be that you can’t actually go completely paperless at this time and that you still need to maintain a certain paper element within your office storage solutions. That’s fine but instead, look towards reducing the amount of paper you use instead. 

Encourage staff to avoid printing documents out and instead view them on screen. If you do need to print, use double-sided printing instead of one-sided, and always have recycling bins around for paper that you no longer use. 

By reducing the amount of paper you use, you might find that it’s far easier to cut it out completely than you realise. You can then take your reduction strategy a step closer to complete elimination, reducing the shock effect over time. 

What Can You Do Personally as an Office Worker?

We’ve focused so far on what the modern office can do for the environment and to help in the battle against climate change but there are many things which office workers overall can do during their daily work, to help reduce negative effects.

The good news is that you don’t have to drastically change your lifestyle in order to do something useful in this battle, and it’s often small changes here and there which can add up to a major effect over time. If everyone makes just one or two small changes, it’s like a huge snowball powering down a mountain, gaining speed and momentum as it goes. 

Check out this video which gives a few ideas on what you can do in the battle against climate change as an individual. We’ll then talk about a few more specifics in detail. 

That should have given you some food for thought and inspired you to make a few changes to how you go about your daily life. As you can see, the changes don’t have to be major. 

As an office worker, however, let’s look at some of the specific changes you can make, or things you can start to do, which will have a long-term effect in the battle against climate change. 

Car Sharing or Cycling to Work  

How do you get to work? If every single person in the office drives their own car, the amount of emissions being sent into the air is huge. Instead, why not cut that down and car share, or even better, cycle to work? Not only do you get a big boost of exercise, but you’re not affecting the environment at all!

Cycling is also far cheaper than running a car, with no need to pay for fuel, parking, oil, and all the inevitable breakdowns that usually happen when it’s raining, snowing, or doing something equally as undesirable during the winter months!

As a business, you could set up a car-sharing network or a cycling group, helping to boost morale and do something about the environment at the same time. Of course, this also forges a team feel and strengthens bonds too. It’s win-win all around!

Reusing Plastic Bottles

We’ve already talked about the huge plastic problem in our oceans, and this has basically stemmed from the number of plastic bottles we use on a daily basis. Just one bottle of water is a contributing factor, so instead of purchasing a new bottle or two every day, why not have a reusable bottle and fill it up? 

Not only will you help the plastic problem, but you’ll also save cash. Bottles of juice and water these days are not cheap!

It’s also a good idea to educate yourself on the 3 Rs, which we talked about earlier. This means that you can use these in your personal life too, cutting down on the effect you have in your home as well as whilst you’re working. 

Eat Organic Foods at Lunch

Instead of going to the local deli to purchase a sandwich or something else to eat, why not bring your own lunch in a reusable container, and stick with organic produce? 

Regular produce, i.e. the non-organic type, has been grown using pesticides, antibiotics and other additions which are applied to help them grow faster, bigger, and brighter. Not only is this a little unhealthy for you, but it’s also very unhealthy for the environment. Those pesticides and antibiotics find their way into the soil, and when it rains that means they end up in the rivers, lakes, and ponds surrounding the area. This affects wildlife, the quality of the soil and has a much wider effect than you might think. 

Whilst organic produce might be slightly more expensive, you can cut costs by shopping around and looking for deals. Businesses should also think about stocking organic ingredients for their canteen meals too, to cut down on the issue of pesticides and added nasties. 

Remember to Turn Off Electricals

We talked earlier about turning off electricals when they’re not in use and not leaving them on standby. This is something all employees should be aware of and take responsibility for. If everyone turns off their computer monitor and lights when they leave their booths and work areas every single day, the negative effects of this problem will be dramatically cut. 

These are just a handful of things you can do as an office worker to help in the battle against climate change. There are bound to be several more if you really sit down on your high stools and have a good think about it as a team. 

By taking responsibility for our actions, we can help to reduce the damage that has already been done. 

Conclusion 

Climate change is everyone’s responsibility. It doesn’t just sit on the shoulders of politicians and world leaders, it doesn’t only concern activists and environmental agencies. This world belongs to all of us and if we want it to be in existence for our future generations, we need to take action in the here and now. We can no longer put this issue off, sweep it under the carpet or pretend it’s not happening. It’s real. It’s happening. It’s serious.

To sum up one more time and to remind you of the things you can do for yourself too, check out this infographic. 

Source - https://www.who.int/images/default-source/wpro/dps/infographics/climatechange-infographic3.jpg?sfvrsn=a4214dd3_2

This infographic sums it up perfectly. It doesn’t have to be some huge, swirling mass of things we can’t change or work out how to approach, it is simple changes which add up to major effects. It’s grouping things together and working out as a human race how to change them. 

Whilst you might not be able to change the world on your own, you can make alterations to your current lifestyle which contributes to a wider change across the planet. Employers can also make changes to the office environment to ensure that the workplace isn’t contributing to the wider problem without even realising it. 

Hopefully, this guide will have opened your eyes to the very real problem we have before us, and also to the was it can be approached too. If everyone does something, no matter how small, perhaps we can take back control of our planet before it’s too late.