Creating an eco-friendly office doesn’t have to be a huge challenge. Today, we’ll show you simple ways you can create a more environmentally friendly workplace!
At The Office Compost Program, we are committed to helping businesses create a greener, cleaner earth. We are happy to share what we’ve learned with you!
Here, you will learn about some of the best ways you can go green at work, including recycling and composting, reusing items, saving energy, and more. Let’s get started!
How To Create an Eco-Friendly Office
Before we get started, it’s important to remember that creating an eco-friendly office is not an all or nothing task!
It’s okay to start small and implement a few new ideas at a time. We all start somewhere and every little bit helps.
Compost and Recycle At Work
Food waste is a huge problem in both households and offices across Canada. As well, paper waste accounts for one-third of ALL of Canada’s waste!
Unfortunately, the offices across Ontario and Canada contribute to significant amounts of food and paper waste ending up in landfills instead of compost and recycling sites.
This is because many municipalities do not offer commercial waste pick-up for food and paper waste. However, that does not mean you can’t compost and recycle at work.
Hire a private waste collection company to pick up your recycling
Ensure you have properly labelled blue recycling bins that are placed in easy-to-access office spaces (such as by the copy machine)
Hire a private waste collection company to pick up your compost
Ensure you have properly labelled Green Bins, and ensure employees know what organic waste can and cannot be placed inside
Train employees before implementing these programs so they understand how to divert waste into the right place
Consider putting up posters that provide important information about what can and cannot be recycled, thrown into the garbage, and placed into the compost bin
Composting and recycling at work is an amazing and simple way you can reduce significant amounts of waste from entering the landfill.
Invest in Reusable Office Items
The office is filled with disposable items - just think about it! Old pens, coffee pods, plastic cups, plates, and cutlery, paper, receipts, and so much more.
It can be difficult (or sometimes impossible) to only use reusable items, but to create an eco-friendly office, it’s best to use as many reusable items as possible.
Invest in reusable mugs instead of plastic or paper cups: You can buy second-hand mugs from a thrift store often for less than $1 each!
Ditch the coffee pods and choose a traditional coffee maker instead. Even better if you can find one that doesn’t require paper filters!
Consider using pens that allow you to refill the ink. That way, you don’t have to throw out hundreds of pens per year.
Try to eliminate the use of disposable office items that aren’t reusable, such as staples. Did you know that you can even buy a “stapleless stapler?”
Today, more and more eco-friendly products are available for the office
By reusing items, you not only cut down on waste, but you also invest in higher-quality products that are built to last longer.
Your employees will likely feel a bit more at home too, when they get to sip their morning coffee out of their favourite office mug instead of a waxy cup!
Save Energy
It wouldn’t really be an eco-friendly office if there were no efforts to save energy too! With all recent talk about climate change, pollution, and greenhouse gasses, it can be easy to forget that saving energy helps the environment too.
But there is, in fact, a direct correlation between energy use and pollution. From Save On Energy:
“When you consume less power, you reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth’s natural resources and protect ecosystems from destruction. By taking steps to reduce your energy intake, you’ll contribute to a healthier and happier world.”
Saving energy can be as simple as turning off computers at the end of the day
So, just like waste reduction, energy reduction is important for protecting the earth and reducing our impact on global warming.
Reduce the need for A/C and heating - Although this cannot be entirely avoided in many climates, you can strategically open/close blinds, invest in insulated window treatments, and use energy-efficient fans or space heaters when necessary.
Better insulate your office - Use weatherstripping around doors and windows and ensure your office is thoroughly insulated.
Turn off computers - Your office computers do not need to stay on when no one is at the office! Make it a habit to turn off all office computers before the office is shut down for the night.
Turn off lights - Turn off all lights possible before leaving for the night. If this is something employees often forget to do, it might be helpful to create a checklist outlining every room that needs to be checked before leaving.
Purchase smart plugs - If you add smart plugs to your office, you can turn off/on lights from anywhere! So if someone forgets to turn off the lights, you can turn them off right from your own home.
Eliminate phantom energy - Phantom energy loss occurs when electronics that are “off” still consume power when plugged in. This can even occur when chargers are left in sockets while not connected to anything at all!
Consider solar panels - If solar panels are an option in your area, consider installing some onto your building.
Remember, you do not need to implement all of these ideas at once! You may want to start slowly, by simply ensuring everything is turned off at the end of the day and work up to bigger tasks over time.
Go Paperless
As we mentioned above, recycling is a great way to reduce the impact your office has on the environment. However, going paperless is even better!
Using a whiteboard instead of chart paper is one simple way to go paperless!
When possible, consider the following tips to reduce the amount of paper you use on a day-to-day basis.
Keep your meeting notes on a shared online document, such as Google Docs.
Get email receipts instead, and if you give out receipts, get into the habit of asking if customers would prefer a receipt emailed to them instead.
Send pay stubs over email instead of printing them out.
Send interactive PDFs instead of printed papers for employees to fill out during training sessions or team meetings
Create an efficient online filing system that all employees have access to - employees will be more likely to use it if it’s as organized as any offline version!
Working towards an eco-friendly office doesn’t mean you have to give up all paper. In some workplaces, that just isn’t possible.
It is, however, important to be aware of how much paper you use and learn how you can reduce it as much as possible.
Use Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
Did you know that traditional chemical cleaners contain a lot of harmful toxins that are known to cause issues such as:
Respiratory irritation
Eye irritation
Nausea
Headaches
Worsen asthma symptoms
Long-term health effect (e.g. cancer)
Because of this, many workplaces are starting to see the benefits of switching to non-toxic cleaning.
Carefully consider the cleaning products you use on a regular basis
Non-toxic cleaning products not only reduces potential reactions like the ones above, they are also much better for the environment!
Consider working with commercial cleaners who offer non-toxic or green cleaning solutions.
If you already have chemical cleaners and want to make the switch to green products, use up all of what you have first before properly disposing of them.
Look for effective green cleaning solutions online - it is often easy to make safe, DIY cleaning products out of vinegar, water, baking soda, and other common household items.
Read the label on all “green” products before purchasing. Unfortunately, “greenwashing” is a shady marketing tactic that can mislead consumers. Ensure you actually read each label so you know the products are truly non-toxic and green.
Non-toxic cleaning products can help you create an eco-friendly office, and help ensure your employees and customers can all breathe a little easier when they come into the office!
Join The Green Office Movement!
Ready to join the green office movement? Use the tips above to help you create an eco-friendly office that gives back to the environment!
At The Office Compost Program, we help businesses all over the Kitchener-Waterloo area take big steps in the right direction by helping them compost their office food waste!
Contact us to learn more about how you can get started today.
“WE ARE CURRENTLY USING THE COMPOST PROGRAM AND THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT AS OUR COMPANY HAS GROWN AND OUR USAGE INCREASED. VERY FRIENDLY AND TERRIFIC SERVICE!”
— JULIE G., BIG ROAD