Keeping Your Office Space Clean And Sustainable

Julie Starr • Sep 04, 2024

Having an organized, clean office is more than just making it visually appealing; it is also important for maintaining a healthy, productive, and sustainable work environment. Having a disorganized and cluttered working environment can lead to increased stress, decreased efficiency, and a negative impact on employee morale. On top of this, adopting sustainable cleaning practices can help minimize the environment you have for your business.


Let's have a look at some of the tips on how you can keep your office space organized, clean, and eco-friendly


Declutter Frequently 

The first step towards keeping a clean and organized office is to declutter frequently. You should encourage your employees to regularly decrypt their desks by getting rid of any unnecessary items, old files, and papers. Try to implement a paperless policy where possible and digitalize anything that you can. Minimize the need for physical storage and help to keep the office space clear of clutter. You might want to consider setting aside a specific time each month, all week, for your team to tie you up their space. 


Promote Sustainable Cleaning Practices 

Sun cleaning products can contain harmful chemicals that can have a negative impact on the environment and your health. Make the switch to eco-friendly cleaning products that are non-toxic and biodegradable. You should make sure that any cleaning supplies that are used are sourced from sustainable and ethical companies. In addition, you may also think about using reusable cloths rather than paper towels and microfiber mops rather than single-use ones. 


Use Sustainable Facility Management Services 

It can be demanding to keep your office organized and clean, especially if you have a large space. Preparing with a professional facility management service can help you to keep your office in top condition and keep you on track for reaching your sustainability goals. Fernic Building Solutions could be the ideal cleaning and maintenance service for your business to keep on track. They can help you maintain a healthy, clean, and sustainable working environment. 


Keep Common Areas Organized

One of the areas that tends to get the most messy is the common areas. This is because there is an increase in the number of people using the facilities. Areas like break rooms, meeting rooms, and kitchens need to be kept clean and organized at all times. It could be a good idea to designate a rotating schedule for your team so that they can make sure that these areas are tidied. Encourage your team to clean and pack themselves so that you can avoid them leaving personal items or food around. It could be a good idea to invest in energy-efficient appliances for spaces like the kitchen, too, as this can increase your sustainability as a business. 


Conclusion 

Maintaining an organized and clean office is essential for creating a healthy, productive, and sustainable workplace. Working with a business maintenance service that incorporates sustainable cleaning practices and optimizes waste management can help you create an environment that is healthy and sustainable. Start implementing these tips today so that you can improve your offer environment and support your business's sustainability goals.

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.
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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