Whether you head up a home office or a 5,000 square-foot corporate space here are some tips on going green. Joan Gill reports
1. Take charge
Going green as an office is a great idea, but make sure that it doesn’t stay that way - as just an idea. Appoint someone to head a green committee, hold regular meetings and offer rewards to your employees for coming up with innovative eco-friendly ideas. Use a ‘green board’, a space where the committee can regularly update staff on new initiatives, and provide tips on being earth-friendly both at home and at work. Having someone keep track of office recycling and energy use will seem well worth it when you get your monthly utility and stationary bills.
2. Recycle everything
Don’t think you can’t help save the planet if your building doesn’t have a recycling programme. There are companies out there that will come to your office on a weekly basis to pick up not just used paper but plastics, aluminium cans, toner cartridges… you name it. Set up a few recycling bins around the office and see how quickly they fill up. You can also use old shredded newspaper for shipping, and reuse boxes and stationary received in the mail. Some companies even make compost from their lunch scraps and use it for their plants.
3. Go paper free
The electronic age is upon us, and we can use this to our advantage. To reduce paper consumption, only print a hardcopy of data when you absolutely have to. For the times you have to use paper, try 100 percent recycled paper and go one step further - print, fax or photocopy on both sides and then recycle that once you’re done with it. Note that corresponding via email is faster, cheaper and less resource-intensive than sending overnight mail. Attach a footer to your emails with a simple but catchy ‘think before you print’ to encourage others to use less paper as well.
4. Travel less
Encourage employees to either carpool to work, bike, or utilise Hong Kong’s highly efficient public transport system. When the need for a meeting comes up that requires you to travel, find out if you could accomplish the same goals by teleconferencing. With today’s technology, you can instant message, create online forums or discussion groups, and even have face-to-face conversations via web cam. If you don’t need to travel save the company some money and the environment some damage by staying put.
5. Conserve energy
One of the easiest ways to conserve energy is to make sure that all office machinery is turned off and unplugged when not in use. Even a machine set to off consumes energy if it’s plugged in. Turn off your computer monitors when you’re going to be away from your desk for any length of time (even during a conference call), and don’t use screen savers – as pretty as they are, they waste huge amounts of energy. Activate sleep mode for printers, copiers and fax machines so they’ll sense inactive periods.
6. See the light
Natural lighting is better for your eyes and the environment. Put desks next to windows so you can rely on the sun’s light instead of electricity. For those darker days and evenings, make sure your office is stocked with energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or halogen energy-saving bulbs, which use up to 30 percent less energy and can last 10 times as long as regular bulbs. It goes without saying that you turn off lights whenever you leave a room.
7. Tackle the kitchen
Make sure your office kitchen is stocked with reusable plates, cups, cutlery and chopsticks. You’ll cut costs in the long run, and cut down on all the wasted paper, plastic and wood headed for the local landfill. If your office’s coffee-making vending machine dispenses its own plastic cups, make sure they are recyclable or see if the machine allows you to use your own reusable mugs instead. You can also hand out company-branded mugs for staff to use.
8. Invest wisely
When it’s time to buy new machinery for the office, donate your old ones to charity, or trade them at a computer store that can recycle the parts. You can then stock up on brand-new environmentally friendly machines. These days you can find everything from computers to coffee machines and air conditioners that are designed to conserve energy. Make sure too that the furniture in your office is made from a renewable resource, such as sustainable wood. Take the time to buy earth-friendly pencils, pens, stationary and even correction fluids online.
9. Set an example
When people first walk through your doors they need to know that you’re serious about going green. Install low-flow toilets which save up to two gallons of water with each flush, and keep air conditioners at a minimum of 25.5°C. If the weather allows, turn off the air conditioning altogether and open windows or use portable fans instead. Decorate your office with green plants, which look good, and help take excess CO2 out of the air.
10. Think natural
Cleansers and other everyday materials (insulation, paints, plastics, glues, carpets, fabrics, etc.) often contain chemicals that are harmful to employees, as well as the planet. Seek out all-natural alternatives, and avoid materials that are heavily packaged, not recycled or non recyclable. Encourage your team to limit their exposure to electro-magnetic fields and radiation coming from computers, cell phones and other office equipment. Team up with other employers in your building, and put plants on the rooftop – this will help clean up the air around your building.
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