How to Use Less Stuff at Work
There are multiple opportunities for you to make your office more environmentally friendly. From changing lighting systems through to turning the thermostat down. There are so many ways that you can make your office green. But what are some simple things you can do to use less stuff in your office?
Make Supplies Last Longer
The ink in your pens, highlighters and markers tend to dry up faster if they aren’t being used regularly. So, try using your writing implements one-at-a-time to ensure they won’t end up forgotten in the back of your desk.
Consumables
Try to use “proper” mugs, cutlery and glasses rather than disposable ones. Each year, the average office worker uses 500 disposable coffee cups, all of which are sent to landfill. So, treat yourself to an office mug – they are much nicer to drink from anyway and they don’t take long to wash up either.
Britain consumes 37.6 litres of bottled water a year. With bottled water costing up to 1000 times more than tap water, this suddenly seems like an unnecessary expense. Given that most offices have water fountains or filling stations, bring in your own bottle to fill up.
Use Less Paper
It is estimated that the average UK office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper per year. Which is roughly the equivalent to a whole tree! Multiply that by the number of people in your office… That’s probably a lot of trees. The demand for paper is much less than it used to be, so try going paperless and only print the documents if necessary.
Office Equipment
Screen savers do not save energy. Enable ‘power-down’ settings and insist that your staff switch off their computer monitors when not in use, including when they are away from their desks for meetings or breaks.
Purchase equipment that is as energy efficient as your budget will allow. Current computers and monitors are more energy-efficient than those more than a few years old. When you are replacing the equipment, ensure you donate the old equipment to a non-profit or charitable organisation.
Recycle
If your work doesn’t already have recycling bins, it’s time to introduce one. Recycle everything possible and encourage staff to sort out their recycling into the correct, paper, glass and plastic recyclables. By recycling, this will help reduce the amount of office waste going into landfills.
Conclusion
You have so many options to use less at work. Most of which are free and easy to do. Why not do your bit to help the planet and improve sustainability within the workplace.
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