With the country producing over 117 million tonnes of waste each year, is there any room for you to contribute more waste through your business? Whether you run your business out of an office or you own a store, there are different and effective ways to make your company greener.
Here are 11 ways to make your company environment-friendly:
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Recycling
Recycling is a must. It is in fact the easiest step towards a greener workplace. Whether you run an office or a store, to encourage recycling in your workplace is a simple task. Moreover, every UK home is equipped with recycling bins, so everyone is aware of what constitutes as ‘recyclable’ or not.
Waste Paper
Do not throw used paper just yet! You can still put them to good use. Have a waste paper pile in your office for all those misprints — employees can reuse them for doodling, scribbling notes, and as a disposable rag when you need to wipe something off your desk.
Compost Box
Have a compost box in the office kitchen and donate the contents to local allotments. The same thing can be done with used coffee grounds — they can really make plants thrive.
Food Waste
For food businesses, food that didn’t pass the quality assurance check (e.g. icing on cake not perfectly swirled; or pasta noodles was overcooked beyond al dente) may still be used provided they are not spoiled and still taste good. For instance, you can use them as food samplers for customers, especially if the problem is just about the quality of the design. This will help promote your product while avoiding food waste. Likewise, excess food may be donated to the homeless rather than thrown away. There are many food waste solutions that can help reduce waste.
Switch Off
At the end of each day make sure that all computers and lights are switched off. Turn off all appliances that can be turned off. For instance, if the fridge do not have food stored inside, you may turn that off as well. Also, unplug the wires as much as possible so you don’t just leave things on standby.
Email vs. Paper
Memos intended for people in the office don’t have to be printed on paper. Emails are just as efficient and much quicker to send to everybody, and they can help you save on paper too. You may also use this method during meetings — rather than a printed agenda, you may opt to send an email to everyone involved. Just make sure that the people in your company are diligent in reading their emails.
Energy Savers
Use energy saving light bulbs throughout your store or workplace. Enforce the rule of switching the lights off in rooms you’re not using. You can also consider installing motion detecting lights in toilets and staff rooms. This is a way to control the use of energy and not just rely on to people to remember to turn off the lights every after use.
Water
Avoid water bottles and disposable cups. In the office, encourage your people to re-use bottles and take out cups. In stores, particularly if you are running a coffee shop or a cafe, encourage reusable cups with a promotional offer. Provide iced tap water or naturally flavoured water for your customers.
Repairs
If anything needs to be repaired, get them done ASAP. This can help you save on resources. For instance, a damaged faucet may cause a huge amount of water wasted through a leaky tap. The same goes for equipment that needs replacement.
Temperature
When using air condition or the heater, make sure all windows are shut tight. The more time the machine has to work to cool or heat the room to your desired temperature, the more energy is used and wasted. Install a thermostat so that your employees can properly gauge the temperature of the room.
Dishwasher
A dishwasher can be more energy-efficient than constantly running the tap water to hand wash dishes. If washing the dishes is something that has to be done in your office regularly, think about investing in a dishwasher. However, make sure that it is used properly to promote efficiency, not laziness.
Why Make Your Company Environment-Friendly?
Going green in business does not only help you save on resources and cut cost on certain expenses. Practicing environment-friendly habits and making it a part of your corporate values will make a good contribution to the welfare of the environment as a whole. Additionally, you will also help save the earth in your own little ways.
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