With global temperatures steadily climbing, polar ice melting, and climate change wreaking havoc through extreme weather everywhere, it’s no wonder governments are beginning to rethink how our lifestyles affect the planet – and this includes the workplace. Business activities and how they are managed significantly contribute to energy consumption and urban waste. Choosing to go green in the workplace will be one small step toward making our planet more habitable and leaving Mother Earth healthier for future generations.
Why Going Green in the Workplace Is Beneficial
The benefits of eco-friendly initiatives aren’t limited to the environment, they can be exceptionally favorable to the companies, associations, or organizations that adopt them. Going green in the workplace can:
- Improve customer perception of your brand
- Lower company operating costs
- Open the door to incentives and partnerships
- Aid in attracting and retaining talent.
Brand Perception
With extreme weather phenomena striking more often and the amount of media attention dedicated to environmental issues, companies that select to go green can improve their brand perception with the public, potentially attracting more customers. Many consumers are attracted to companies that implement eco-friendly initiatives or donate to environmental causes. This translates into increased sales and earnings.
Lower Company Expenses
By adopting eco-friendly initiatives, businesses and organizations can lower operational costs. The installation of solar panels can generate energy for the company saving thousands if not millions of dollars in energy costs. The elimination of paper saves money spent on supplies and eliminates storage necessities and waste that needs to be recycled.
Available Incentives
The federal government offers federal, state, and local incentives for businesses that apply the minimum Environmental Protection Agency regulations. These are available in a variety of forms including tax credits and tax breaks. One example is the green energy tax reduction for those businesses that reduce their energy consumption by at least 50%. Energy-efficient air conditioning and lighting systems are also eligible for tax reductions. Going green can also be lucrative as federal procurement is moving toward selecting suppliers that introduce eco-friendly initiatives into their companies.
Other sustainable home programs were inspired by these eco-friendly initiatives that go beyond the workplace. For example, local governments are prioritizing incentives for home builders to create properties that are environmentally friendly. From the workplace to home, humanity is becoming more conscious about taking care of the planet in our every day lives.
Getting the Best Talent
With new generations of professionals emerging, many younger workers prefer to work for companies that are socially and environmentally responsible. This means attracting a new generation of know-how.
Green Eco-Friedly Initiatives to Consider Integrating into Your Business
Everything we do at work influences the environment directly or indirectly. From how your office space is designed to the supplies you select to the energy you consume. Numerous initiatives can contribute to protecting Mother Earth and improving employee health and morale. Remote working can significantly reduce office energy and supply consumption, but when in the office, consider these green initiatives.
Designing and Reorganizing Workspaces
- Organize your office to maximize the use of natural light. Your employees need to have natural light exposure. Not only will it support workers’ energy levels and moods in the office, but using natural light will also save on how much you spend on electric bills.
- Shut lights, equipment, and power off when not in use. Unused offices or meeting rooms should not have lights on if not in use. Consider smart light and hvac systems using motion detector sensors so that lights or climatization are activated only when someone enters the room and shut off automatically when the last person leaves.
- Paint office walls in light colors. Lighter colors at better reflectors of sunlight. This can reduce your business’s need for artificial lighting.
- Keep elevators at a distance. If you are building or restructuring, place company spaces nearer to stairs and further from elevators to encourage walking rather than riding. Apart from healthier employees, you can lower your energy costs.
- Decorate with living plants. Plants recycle air. They absorb carbon dioxide and then produce oxygen. Better air quality can help focus and concentration while observing plants can calm the mind and contrast stress from working at a computer all day.
- Winterize windows with weather stripping to reduce heat and air conditioning loss.
- Install recycling bins in the office. This may seem like a given but many offices do not use recycling bins. Make your waste system communal rather than supply each desk or station with its trash bin. Bins can be provided for plastics, glass, aluminum, packaging, and paper. Consider keeping a small office composter for organic material and then recycling your compost for indoor plants or lawns and flowerbeds on company premises. If you must use bin bags, do not choose plastic. Use paper or biodegradable sacks.
Workplace Supplies
- An important initiative for businesses is the installation of solar panels for a sustainable energy supply as opposed to fossil fuels. Wind-generated power is also an alternative, location permitting.
- Battery-operated equipment can be operated using rechargeable batteries. This will not only save money but reduce the number of batteries tossed in the waste bin.
- Reduce the brightness of computer monitors. This will reduce energy consumption, cost, and your equipment may even last longer.
- Unplugging equipment and devices at the day’s end can also save on energy consumption. Machines should be spent and extension cords unplugged before you leave the office.
- Make your office a ‘no paper’ office if possible. Digitalization can overcome the need for paper. If this is not feasible, use only recycled paper. Remember to print on both sides
- Choose multi-function equipment to reduce the number of office machines. Update equipment to acquire machines that are more energy efficient. Office supplies and equipment such as old computers or printers should be recycled.
- Make sure that bathroom faucets do not drip, losing precious water. Faucet aerators can be installed to reduce the water from taps.
- Avoid the use of paper towels in bathrooms. Hand dryers, cloth, or microfiber towels are eco-friendlier alternatives.
- For your office’s green coffee corner, establish a policy where only necessary water is boiled and nothing more. Don’t boil extra water just in case someone else might want a cup. Purchase boxed water or install a bottleless water dispenser without paper cups. (Every employee should have a reusable cup.)
- Purchase milk or cream that is not contained in plastic. If possible, look for a dairy service that uses old-fashioned milk bottles that can be collected and reused. If you do use glass bottles for beverages, remember that glass can be recycled. If paper plates are a necessity, make sure they are compostable.
- For cleaning and hand washing, only use green or organic products that will not pollute when washed down the drain. Save your coffee grounds to use as compost in indoor plants or send them home with employees for their yards and lawns.
Lunch
” Food waste poses detrimental effects on the environment, including its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions” If your business has a cafeteria, consider including a daily vegetarian choice on the menu for employees to contribute to reducing the production of greenhouse gasses. Other alternatives include working with local producers to source food in your area or creating partnerships with local restaurants that offer organic menus. Even walking to a nearby eatery will reduce the use of a car, fuel, and emissions.
Green Challenges
A great way to heighten awareness within the company is by creating green challenges for employees. Involve your employees in a weekly or monthly contest. A ‘walk-to-work’ day, ‘bike-to-work‘ day, or wear clothing with recycled fibers. You may want to set up teams for car-sharing. Furnish employees with the same amount of paper and see who has the most remaining at week’s end. Create a ‘greenest employee of the month’ award. See who can use the least number of paper cups in a week. The options are endless.
The Eco-Friendly Workplace
Even apparently small changes in how we consume energy and supplies add up to make a difference. Eco-friendly initiatives in the workplace not only benefit our planet but contribute to a healthy workplace environment. While the idea of going green may seem daunting, many small daily gestures can be applied in the workplace to get you started without a lot of expense. Beginning with a few changes can reduce your workplace’s environmental impact.
Employees will begin to value their work more in an eco-friendly work environment and an increase in productivity should follow. Supply budget expenses will decrease and reduced energy consumption or the installation of renewable energy sources such as solar panels will save money. Your business may even earn some tax deductions or credits. Last but not least, your brand will benefit. Companies that are committed to environmental conservation are gaining increased public recognition as society embraces protecting the environment.
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