5 Subtle Ways to Get Your Employees to Become More Eco-Conscious

Julie Starr • March 4, 2022

It’s always the right move to try to become more sustainable, and it’s even better when you’re bringing a whole team with you on this journey. There’s this idea that in order to be sustainable and eco-friendly, you need to spend lots of money. But in actuality, it’s further from the case. In fact, the less you spend tends to be better. So there’s no need to worry about bringing this into the company budget.

Being eco-friendly is a company effort, so everyone on the whole team should try to get involved in this. But how can it be done without forcing lifestyle choices onto your employees? These are some subtle ways to get your co-workers to be more eco-conscious at work, and who knows, this may spill into their personal life.

Begin by turning off electronics and lights that are not in use

This is one of the smaller steps that people will begin to pick up on. Most likely, people already turn off lights at home when they’re exiting a room. They may turn off electronics that they’re not using. So this can easily bleed through into professional life. Just begin doing it, and people will start to pick up on it. Just know that this doesn’t have to include everything such as computers, your key lock box , or anything else that has high importance.

Try to lay off the thermostat

A great way to make environmentally-friendly changes for your building can include laying off the thermostat. This includes both the heat and cool air. This doesn’t mean your employees should go to work in a hot or freezing environment. There are usually eco-settings for some of these devices. Just look into the settings. Maybe having the heat or AC kick on at a certain temperature could drastically change how much money and energy your business saves.

Go paperless

Does everything really need to be printed? Most likely, it doesn’t. While it’s okay to still have the printer or copy machine at the office, maybe try to look into Adobe as an option for filling out and signing documents. Let your employees know about this convenient method of signing documents. There are plenty of benefits to digital files. This not only reduces the paper around the office, but it cuts the clutter, and it’s very easy to access digital files from a computer or mobile device.

Encourage employees to bring their food to work

If you’re able to get rid of the vending machines in your workplace, this is one great way to cut down on plastic. But another thing can include encouraging employees to pack their lunch rather than driving to a nearby restaurant to get it. This wastes gas, energy, and then there is going to be potential food waste and other waste from the packing materials as well. Bringing food to work saves a lot of money but it also helps the environment.

Get some plants

Plants are one of those eco-friendly decorative accents that will never go out of fashion. They boost air quality, and they look fabulous anywhere! There’s something about being surrounded in green that just makes you think of nature.

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Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.