12:25, 03 August 2021
Words by Smiley Team, Staff Writer, London
The pandemic changed us in many ways. This included raising our concern for environmental issues, according to a survey. Since many of us have returned to the office, perhaps now's the time to transfer our eco-conscious attitudes from home to the workplace.
After all, working in a sustainable way has multiple benefits. "We believe that environmentally-friendly practices are as good for business as they are for the planet," said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg, whose London headquarters was named the most sustainable office in the world.
Following Bloomberg’s example, here are 10 tips to reduce waste, energy consumption and office expenses all at once.
The more the planet warms, the more we turn to air conditioning. But this comfort comes at the expense of the planet, using up to 45 kWh of energy to cool just one metre squared, which is more than it takes for an electric car to travel 100 miles. Thankfully, there are alternatives out there, such as Bloomberg’s natural ventilation from a ‘breathing facade’.
One of the main environmental downfalls of returning to the office is increased emissions from commuting. But there are many ways to get around this. Cycling or walking are obviously the greenest ways to travel, but failing that, there’s always public transport or carpooling - made easy with apps like blablacar and Carma.
While just one average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper a year, going paperless is a key way to reduce office waste. Plenty of software companies offer plans to help make this transition, including FileCenter and M-Files.
But going paperless isn’t enough. We forget that sending emails and searching Google also impacts the environment, with web traffic doing as much damage as the aviation industry. By switching your default browser to Ecosia, you can rest easy knowing that the nonprofit uses ad revenue from users’ searches to plant trees in biodiverse and ecologically sensitive areas.
Food waste makes up a shocking 6 to 8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. To do your bit in the office, why not start a zero waste campaign? One technology company in Hyderabad encouraged workers to chuck away less food by sharing the amount of waste generated each day along with how many people that could have fed. This simple trick led employees to dispose of 80% less food than they did previously.
Switching to green energy is easier than you may think, with plenty of energy providers offering electricity from renewable sources, and sometimes even offset or sustainably-sourced gas.
Reduce water wastage by recycling greywater from sinks, toilets and rainwater from the roof. Bloomberg’s 10-story office building managed to reduce its water consumption by 73% in this way.
Feeling an increasing sense of guilt with every disposable coffee cup you use? Getting uneasy about the amount of packaging you chuck away? Just ditch it all for good. Get yourself a lunchbox, pick a nice coffee flask, bring cutlery to work and savour the knowledge that you are significantly reducing your waste.
From recycled paper notebooks to refillable pens there are plenty of greener stationery options available. Check products for the FSC logo that guarantees they are sustainably sourced and just try to cut down where possible.
