Going green at the workplace would probably amount to giving back a lot to the environment is a big way! There is gross wastage that goes on inside the offices. If you come to taking a total of all the monetary losses - it would probably be uncountable. From energy wastage in equipment, lighting and air conditioning to gross wastage of paper - there is a lot that needs to be controlled in the office and we must try to put in that effort and become more environmentally responsible.
Here are five tips that reflect on the very visible wastage that occurs in offices, that if cut down, could not only make the office environmentally friendly, but could also save thousands of dollars for businesses and rake in some profits in the bargain!
The thing that is wasted the most scrupulously in offices is electricity. There are so many ways in which you can save on electricity and also save your office from dishing out inflated bills every month! Try to take the stairs if you can in place of the elevator - not only would you be saving energy, but you would also get a good exercise on a regular basis. Whenever you leave your office, try to turn off the lights, even if it is for only ten minutes. Open up your curtains and use natural daylight, which not only saves on energy but also gives you the much-needed vitamin D, don't let the chargers on when they are not in use.
Try to refrain from opening the blinds too much during the summer season so that the air conditioning is effective. Computer monitors should also be preset to turn off when not in use for over 15 minutes. Idle computers and appliances kept on when not in use take up a lot of energy.
Reduce office transportation
When going for work try to search for car pool or use the public transportation rather than taking your own car carrying one person. It would be a great idea for employees to coordinate with their fellow workers to arrange a car pool. If your place of work is nearby then try walking or biking to work - you could gain a lot of health benefits in the bargain.
Offices could also provide some incentives for people who carpool or bike to office to encourage other to do the same. If the office is flexible enough, then it could provide telecommuting options of working from home once a week. The office could also consider increasing the working hours daily and make it a four-day week.
Reduce gross wastage of paper
A lot of paper is used carelessly in offices and this is one thing that needs to be seriously monitored. As per the findings of the Environmental Protection Agency, a single employee in a regular office setup generates roughly 1 1/2 pounds of paper waste on a daily basis! There are a lot of ways in which offices can cut down the use of paper such as not making hard copies unnecessarily and reading a soft copy on the computer instead of a print out; making sure that both sides of the paper have been used when printing or photocopying. The paper that is bought for office work should be recycled and eco-friendly.
Switch to non-toxic cleaning products for the office
More than 6 billion pounds of chemical-laden products are used to clean office premises annually. It is estimated that 25 percent of these products are extremely toxic and could also affect the janitor who is engaged in cleaning the office. Not only this, these chemicals are responsible for lowering the quality of air in the offices.
The best way to tackle this would be to switch to eco-friendly cleaning products.
Switch to green energy sources for heating and cooling
An article in the TIME magazine states that powering, cooling and heating an office are three functions that are responsible for 40% of the CO2 emissions in the States and they are also responsible for consuming more than 70% of the total amount of energy used in the US.
A few simple things like adjusting the thermostat by a degree or two could reduce your electricity bill by around 10%. You could go in for automatic setback thermostats in order to adjust the temperature when the office is not in operation - like the late evening or during the weekends. You could opt for air economizers that make use of the air outside in order to provide indoor cooling to the buildings. Solar shading would also provide protection to the office in reducing the amount of heat that enters the building because of the sun. You could also do simple things to conserve the warmth of coolness by making use of blinds.
About the author: Rubela is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and luxury. Beside this she is fond of gadgets. Recently an article on electricity generation attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on designer table lamps.