Last Updated on 18/07/2022
Hello again. There are hundreds of often small changes that could really make your workplaces more sustainable. Here at greenbuying.co.uk we have been giving eco office tips in our blog. Here are this week’s top five.
1. Reduce your water use.
According to the Environment Agency, the average person uses 150 litres of water a day. Our water consumption has gone up by nearly 50% in the last 25 years, and that is putting further pressure on a scant and vital resource. At work, ensure there are no leaky taps, use water displacement devices in the toilets, and use a water-efficient dishwasher in the staff kitchen.
2. Recycling containers.
Have recycling containers at the workplace to make it easy for employees to use (note that we sell a large range of internal and external recycling bins in our eco shop).
3. Re-use old stationery & cardboard boxes.
Reuse old boxes for shipping, and reuse old files again rather than throwing them away and buying new ones.
4. Lighting.
Artificial lighting uses around 44% of all electricity use in office buildings. In a period of increasing energy costs, smart use of lighting will save your business money as well as helping the environment. Try to go without artificial light if natural light is good enough to work with. If you need lighting, try installing a motion sensor light switch. If that is not possible, always make it a habit to turn the lights off if you are going to leave a room empty for 15 minutes or more.
5. Donate your old office equipment.
Instead of throwing away your office’s old equipment and furniture, try to contact organisations that can take these products and re-use them. There are many charitable organisations that specialise in this. Alternatively, you can place your unwanted equipment onto our free “scrap shop” service (found via our website greenbuying.co.uk). However, do remember that as a business, you have to follow the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations. The Environment Agency website has lots of detail on this subject.