As per one study, we spend one-third of our time in our workplace. A workplace is a place where we spend our most productive time. The workplace could be in any form like a factory, office, workspace, shop, clinic and so on depending upon the nature of economic pursuits you follow. If we spend so much quality and quantity time in our workspace, it is all the more important to spend some time making our office a better place to work and live. So, to live healthily and to have a better work-life relationship, you should make your office eco-friendly.
Latest studies show that an eco-friendly office has a direct bearing on the efficiency and proficiency of human resources. Having an eco-friendly office helps in boosting the productivity and work mood of the team. Here are some simple and easy green habits which can help your company save money, resources and energy.
1. Turn off unnecessary electronics before leaving the office
One of the best habits we can cultivate in the office is switching off electronic items including lights, AC, heaters and computer systems when we leave the office. It can save you and your company huge costs and can also create a culture of saving in your business values. As per one study, plugged-in electronic gadgets are the major causes of short-circuit and fire incidents. This simple yet effective habit can ward off any potential fire incidents.
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2. Opt for better eco-efficient office products
We spend a significant amount on daily office use items like office stationery, computers, toners, newspapers, magazines, furniture, and so on. Identify these daily items and start opting out for the products which are reusable such as refillable pens, staple-less staplers recycled products and more. A small awareness in the purchase of daily usable items can really go a long way in promoting the eco-culture of your office. Start the process of replacing the non-eco items with eco-friendly items. You can start with replacing your office’s lighting system. Replace your existing lighting system with more energy-efficient systems.
3. Create monthly green challenges
To be eco-friendly is not one day’s act but a matter of habits and values. So, to make an eco-value system and eco team spirit, create monthly green challenges which should also be used to evaluate the overall performance of employees and of the company. It may include measurable items like saving some units of power, using less paper, reducing waste and so on. These green challenges should be given at the beginning of the month as monthly challenges. You can use a month’s time to evaluate the progress of green challenges.
4. Go Paperless
This single step can change the way you reduce your carbon footprints. It takes many trees to be cut to supply the demand for the paper used for your office. One of the simplest habits for being paperless is to use both sides of the paper. For this, the simplest hack is to set ‘both sides’ as the default mode in your printer. It will reduce your paper use to 50%. Further, you can reduce your paper use by using paper trails. Also, a habit of taking notes on digital gadgets instead of notebooks should be encouraged.
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5. Bring a desk plant
One of the best ways to keep the work mood up and also keep yourself happy and thus productive is to keep a small indoor plant on your desk. This will not only help in maintaining the office space green but will also help you to have a supply of oxygen though in small quantity. Indoor plants help reduce stress, increase productivity and clean the air. It will also help the office look green.
6. Maximize natural light
Natural sunlight is the best source of Vitamin-D and a free source of light for the office. Ensure that your desk, your office and the whole office building get the maximum amount of natural light and it reaches all the nooks and corners of the office. Natural light will extend productivity, reduce the use of power and will help keep the temperature of the office moderate. Sunlight is good for the health, efficiency and longevity of the staff. Regular sunlight can also reduce the chances of sickness and absenteeism.
7. Encourage green commuting
Car-pooling is now very popular which many corporations are encouraging. You can encourage and incentivise your staff to avoid bringing in their individual vehicles and instead share their four-wheelers. This will help reduce their carbon footprints at the individual as well as corporate levels. You can also suggest that they calculate their eco-footprints. Using the vehicles provided by the employers can also be an option if it suits your business pocket.
8. Green-Mentoring
As part of your office training skills, do include the environment as a training subject. This will help the staff to be more sensitive towards the environment and also make them more aware. It will seed in them the value of sustainability and saving the resources of nature which will have a direct bearing on your cost-saving in many areas like power bills, water bills, stationary bills and so on.
9. Eco-employee of the month
To motivate the employees, you can select the Eco-Employee of the month. This may be a person who has done good work in sustainability like the person who has used less paper, who has saved more power, who has done some creative work for the environment in the office and so on. He can be rewarded with monetary benefits so as to encourage other employees.
10. Embrace renewable energy
Replace non-renewable sources of energy with renewable sources of energy. You should take a project of replacing your regular energy supply with renewable energy over a span of 5 years. Though the initial cost may be a little higher than the regular sources, it will give a return over the years which will offset the initial investment. This will help you go green. You can go for solar lights, rain-water harvesting, vertical garden and green office building.
Let’s change our office space.
Geetanjali Mehra is an interior designer by profession. She has co-authored the book, ‘Gift Lungs to Future Generations.’ The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
