It feels that every day we hear about a new natural disaster or a promise of a disaster to come when the environment is in question. And even if this were not the case, there is a dire need to do everything we can to reduce our negative effect on the environment.
This also includes our workplace where many of us spend more time than we do at home.
It is because of this that we need to try and make as much difference as we can in the workplace. If you are a business owner, this is very easy to do, while as an employer you may need to try a bit more to change the minds of those who make the decisions. Whatever your position may be, here are some of the things that you can do in your workplace that will have positive effects on the environment.
Reducing Water Consumption
According to the people with data, the first cataclysmic environmental issue that many of us might even live to see is going to be the decreased availability of drinkable water. And when you consider how much water is wasted in offices worldwide these days, it starts to look even worse. The good news is that conserving water is not that much of a hassle.
First of all, you should try and have your office install water-saving fixtures that will reduce how much water is used doing everyday tasks. Furthermore, you should seriously consider installing rainwater tanks that would collect rainwater and then use it for flushing the toilets or watering the plants. Another easy way to save water is to use native plant life and drought-resistant species for the landscape, which will not require so much irrigation as some more popular choices.
Pulling the Plug
Energy waste is another big problem with office buildings, especially if they are quite large and if companies work in shifts where people tend to be quite wasteful thinking that someone else will unplug the appliances.
Unplugging appliances is the first and the simplest step towards reducing electricity consumption in offices. This is particularly important to do come Friday, not letting the appliances and other electricity-powered items stay plugged in over the weekend.
It is also very important to be smart about lighting and A/C as these can also become giant siphons of electricity if they are not used smartly. The cases when the heating is on full blast and you are compensating with A/C should be prohibited by law.
Putting An End to Paper Wasting
There is a definitive trend towards reducing the consumption of paper in offices these days, but there is always more that we can do. We need to further reduce the instances of unnecessary printing out of various memos and documents that no one will read or that everyone can read easily on their computers. Moreover, you can use electronic signatures these days which will be just as binding as putting ink on paper. Finally, the recycled paper may not be as snowy-white as the regular one, but trust us when we tell you that no one will mind.
Going With Recycled Materials
Offices are constantly undergoing remodelings, renovations, expansions, and other processes that require a lot of material and work. During these renovations and remodelings, there are a lot of opportunities to use recycled materials that will be much greener than the usual stuff. For instance, when you are getting new office furniture, you can always go with that made from recycled materials; when you are repainting your office, you can always go for environmentally-friendly paints, and so on. It may be more expensive, but you will sleep tighter.
