Eco-Friendly Office Money Savers

Julie Starr • Jun 16, 2021



All businesses can play their part in helping the environment. Making a number of small changes can have a large impact over the course of a year, and there’s always room to make more. And these changes can benefit your business even more if they help you save money too.

So what types of changes can your business make to save money while taking a more sustainable approach? Take a look at the following ideas for some eco-friendly office money savers.

Cut down on your energy use

Your office’s energy costs can be very high, especially if you waste a lot of energy. But taking a more proactive approach to cutting down your energy use could see those costs decline. Work out where your biggest energy consumption comes from and find ways of bringing it down. 

When replacing old equipment, make sure you replace it with equipment with lower energy consumption. Technology is constantly evolving, with manufacturers aiming to develop new ways of bringing down energy use from their products.

Encourage employees to think about their own energy use at work

While there are some fundamental changes you can make to your office energy use, there a lot of changes your employees can make that will not only help them think about their behavior at work but at home too. 

Some of the company-wide green policies you can implement are:

  • Avoid charging equipment during peak office hours – if items need charging, they can be done overnight when energy tends to be cheaper.
  • Encourage employees to turn things off at the mains when equipment isn’t in use, and when they leave the office.
  • Try to open windows and let natural air circulate instead of relying on the A/C constantly. 

Close the office at a set time

Setting a closing time for your office can bring a lot of benefits to your business. Not only can it stop your employees from working excessive hours, but you could also benefit from reduced operating costs. If you’re worried about changing business functions or a drop-in service, there are ways around this. Having a live call answering service can mean you can continue to take calls from customers and clients, even without a team based in the office. You could even consider finishing up early on Fridays (especially during the summer) to give your employees a reward, while also cutting down on some of your running costs.

Adopt energy-efficient and smart lighting

Office lighting is essential, but it doesn’t have to come at a high price. By adopting energy-efficient or smart lighting, you can save a lot of money over time, while also making sure you run a more sustainable office space.

You should also assess the lighting in your building – there could be areas where the amount of lighting is unnecessary due to being unused or near large window areas. 

Phase-out single-use plastic

You’ll have read about a lot of companies phasing out single use plastic , and if large corporations can do it, so can yours. Making a commitment to go plastic-free shows that your business is taking things seriously, making you accountable to your pledge. And it can start in your office.

From plastic cups and straws to finding alternatives to plastic packaging, there are different ways you can say goodbye to plastic for good. Learn lessons from other businesses to discover the innovative ways your business can get rid of single-use plastic.

Cut down on your travel

In light of COVID-19, more and more businesses have had to get on board with remote working. Even as things start getting back to normal, could you continue practices such as video conferencing to avoid meeting travel? It will reduce your costs significantly, and help you reduce your carbon footprint too.

You could also consider moving to a smaller office space if more of your employees will be working remotely – there’s no point maintaining a large space with heating, electricity, etc. if you’re not going to be at full capacity.

Becoming a more sustainable, eco-friendly business should be high on your priorities list. And if it saves you money at the same time, then that’s a fantastic bonus. Begin by making small changes to see how they can fit into your business, over time you can make even further changes that can help your company become one of the leaders for sustainability in your industry.

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.
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