Going Green in the Office!
In honor of Earth Day, we wanted to discuss some ways your office can go GREEN this year!
Go Paperless!
This may seem scary to businesses that are well established in their file cabinet ways, but if we can do it so can you! Not only is this a great way to go green but in the long run it is more efficient for your business. Image all your important documents at your fingertips rather than searching through millions of files!
According to a 2014 study conducted by Catalog Spree and PaperKarma, if the US alone cuts its office paper use by just 10% by moving to digital, it would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 1.45 million metric tons–the equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off the road for an entire year, Digneo said, sourced by TechRepublic.
If going completely paperless gives you a mini heart attack you can start by reducing your printing and recycling the paper you do use!
Stock Reusable Supplies!
Plastic spoons and straws are convenient but are not helping our beautiful planet… Instead stock your break room with reusable supplies and spend a few extra minutes washing them! Eating a crisp salad tastes a lot better when using metal spoons anyways!
Turn Off Equipment When Not In Use!
If you aren’t using it, why does it need to be plugged in? This means all electronics, lights, and heat as well. Even when an electronic is not being used, if it is plugged in, it is consuming energy. Meaning enforcing a simple “everything off rule” at the end of the day can cut your consumption dramatically!!
Monthly Green Challenge!
Nothing sparks results like some friendly competition! I know our office thrives off competition and is an easy way to ensure great results. These challenges can be as simple or as complex as your team wants with small prizes to the winner each month. Oftentimes, bragging rights are enough… Make a chart and reward stars to see the winners displayed in the conference room! Some examples could be, not using plastic utensils for a whole day and the person with the most days at the end of the month wins! Even a challenge of not to eat out for lunch because think of all the plastic involved for each meal!
