Are you ready for a greener business strategy? It’s a great idea, both from an environmental and social perspective. Millennials especially and Gen Z employees pay attention to the efforts of their employers for the environment. If you want to be sustainable at your home, working for an unfriendly company might prove counterproductive. Customers and partners are also affected. Many people turn their backs on companies that are indifferent or continue to use harmful practices against the environment and people.
How can you make your workplace more sustainable and ethical? What are some actions you can take to make your workplace more green? What are you going to do first? These 21 ideas on sustainability at work will help get you started.
Remember that it is best to go slowly and be sustainable over the long-term. We encourage you to incorporate these eco-friendly steps slowly even though we want to get them all done as soon as possible.
How technology can help you lower your environmental impact
1. Smart technology is your opportunity
There are many resources available to help you reduce your environmental impact through workplace technology. Modern technology makes it easy to reduce your carbon emissions and energy consumption. Sustainability measurement tools (Key Performance Indidicators) are an excellent way to analyze your economic, socio- and environmental KPIs.
2. Digital Work: The Future
Digitalization helps reduce paper waste and allows you to work remotely from anywhere without restrictions. Flexibility allows people to work remotely from their home or third place of business, which reduces the carbon footprint associated with commuting. It is time to rethink the way you plan your office. This can help you save on energy and make lasting improvements.
3. Make your office paperless
As we know, our planet is not endowed with infinite resources. Reduce your paper consumption is essential. Digitalization in the office and paper alternatives like erasable stones paper notebooks are two ways to reduce waste and preserve water resources.
4. Diminish the brightness
A Harvard University professor says that decreasing the brightness of your computer screen can help save as much as 20% on its energy consumption. This simple green strategy is easy to incorporate into your sustainable strategy. Employees have the option to change the lighting setting or switch into dark mode. Dark mode options can help reduce eye strain that can occur when working online.
Every aspect of your company’s sustainability can be adapted, from the cafeteria down to the bathrooms.
5. Change to a greener kitchen
Depending on your organization’s size, you might have a cafeteria and/or a dining room. You can make simple changes to help the environment. Introduce initiatives to create a zero waste kitchen. This includes non-disposable cutlery, cups, and towels. In second place, promote organic and local products.
6. Use clean products to keep your office clean
Green offices should use only environmentally friendly cleaning products. We don’t recommend making your cleaning products from natural ingredients. You can choose items that have eco-friendly labels and certifications. Promote sustainable practices such reusability of cleaning cloths, non-disposable ones, and more.
7. Install zero-waste, energy-saving solutions for your bathroom
Even small changes can make a big difference in reducing our environmental impact. Automated hand dryers are a great alternative to paper towels. To reduce water consumption and costs, many businesses switch to water-efficient faucets. Lighting is also affected by this change. You can save money by installing sensors. Recycled trash bag bags can also be used. These are just some ideas to create a greener and more sustainable bathroom.
8. Promote the “3 Rs” powerful “3 R’s”.
By reducing, reusing, recycling, you’ll be more sustainable that most businesses. This simple rule is a powerful way to think about sustainability. Use it to inspire your teams. There are many actions that can be taken, from recycling energy and reducing waste to tech devices reuses.
Sustainability in work: Office ideas
9. Double-sided printing is possible by bypassing printing
Digitalization and technological advancement have made it possible to print less. It is generally no longer necessary to print documents. It is more sustainable and better for the Earth than paper documents. Digital files can be protected with security systems that will keep them safe.
10. Use deforestation-free or paperless paper
Let’s say you don’t have any other options and require a printed version of certain documents. There are still sustainable options. Print on FSC-certified or recycled paper. The planet’s future depends on how we manage the forests that are being deforested worldwide.
11. Change to renewable and green energy
Your energy consumption will be reduced if you review the size and layout of your office following a switch to hybrid work models. What about the power that you require to operate your workspace? You can make a big difference in your carbon footprint by choosing the right electricity provider. Want to see how much your business could save the environment and you can do it for free? The Big Clean Shift is available!
12. Set realistic goals and measure your carbon footprint
Are you unsure where to put your sustainability efforts? How can you set achievable goals for your company to be more environmentally and socially conscious? Before you create a green strategy and implement eco-friendly activities, it is important to measure your carbon footprint. It will allow you to set clear goals and track your progress over time. You can then continue to improve.
13. Your team might want to adopt a BYOD policy
BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device (Bring Your Own Device), can help organizations reduce their carbon footprint and save money. Imagine if everyone who uses a computer to work had the same equipment at their home. This is a perfect example of the three Rs principle. You can decrease the amount of specialized materials needed and encourage repair instead of buying. Equipment can also be reused or recycled if necessary.
14. Digital pollution: Focus
Digital pollution is a problem that we can’t see. It can sometimes be hard to grasp. One e mail can emit 10 g of carbon dioxide, and 60% of these e-mails remain unopened. It can be difficult for digital pollution to be prevented, but it is possible with simple actions and encouragement from your team. You can reduce your digital footprint by avoiding unwanted e-mails, unsubscribing for irrelevant newsletters, and promoting Ecosia, a sustainable search engine, to help you do so.
Let’s talk about how your business can reduce the commute to work and travel.
15. Flying? Consider ground transport instead
Flying is an integral part of our professional and personal lives. However, it is one of the most polluting forms of transportation and should not be used. Consider using trains or carpooling to get your team to where they need to go. Even better, one person can own an electric car. Promoting ground transport is a great way to align your sustainable values.
16. Encourage public transport for getting to work
Many people have a routine of driving to work. It is a common habit to commute by car. Encourage your employees to use the bus, train or subway to reduce CO2 emissions before they arrive on-site.
17. Encourage walking or cycling to work if you live close enough
You can encourage your employees to cycle or walk if they live near your office. It is the most sustainable method of getting to work. In addition, it’s good for your health and helps you be more productive. It’s win-win.
Promote eco-friendly behavior by clearly communicating your sustainability ideas at work.
18. Get to know your team and share green tips and information
Communication is key to making environmentalism a part of your business strategy. This includes communicating your results, initiatives, and actions. For example, you could organize quarterly meetings to discuss the topic. You can also train your employees on sustainability and share useful tips that they can use at work and home.
19. Your sustainability requirements should be communicated to all partners
It is worth focusing on ethical practices and the environment. It is important to share the same values and vision with your suppliers and partners. Communicate your strategy and expectations to your suppliers in order to create a sustainable business model.
They will be able to better understand your standards and make suggestions for positive changes.
20. Spread the word and encourage others to adopt sustainable workplace ideas.
The idea is to share sustainable ideas with other organizations. This will hopefully inspire others to adopt similar practices. Global industry has more impact than individual actions. It is essential to inspire more corporations.
21. Obtained an official certification in environmental protection
Your commitment is confirmed by a sustainable certification. It also shows that your environmental management system has been properly implemented. By implementing green and sustainable practices, you can get certified by the ISO 14001 standard or B Corp. These certifications can be trusted globally and are widely recognized.
You should never try to offset your carbon footprint. Instead, you should aim to produce as much carbon dioxide as possible in order to minimize the need to offset it.
These 21 business-friendly ideas will help you create a better workplace. What are your options for managing a hybrid working model?
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