Living A More Life Sustainable When Working From Home

Julie Starr • April 22, 2022



Working from home provides numerous advantages in terms of environmental sustainability. Because they are not required to commute, remote employees have lower carbon footprints. Thankfully, while working from home, there are a plethora of other ways to lessen your environmental effect. So many people are choosing to still work from home and even by just doing that you are being more sustainable by not having to commute every day and using your car or the bus to get to work. It’s a good start and businesses do want to show they are being more gree n but there are other things you can do like the below.

By turning your thermostat up 2 degrees in the summer and down 2 degrees in the winter, you can save up to 2,000 pounds of CO2 every year! Alternatively, an energy-saving thermostat that conserves electricity automatically could be used. This 24 BTU Mr Cool combo unit can cool and heat 1000 square feet. 

Make use of environmentally friendly office supplies.  Did you know that the average office worker produces approximately 2 pounds of garbage each day? Fortunately, today’s products can assist us in increasing our productivity. The key is to choose either waste-free or biodegradable office supplies. Using paperless notebooks, for example, is an option that you may become used to and like.

Another way to be sustainable is with how you take notes. Every office worker requires a nice pen. Plastic pens, on the other hand, can be harmful to the environment if they are discarded. More environmentally friendly are biodegradable pens created from recyclable materials.

Unplug as many devices as possible. When electronic equipment is plugged in but not in use, they use energy. Everything that is plugged in uses electricity from the grid, putting undue strain on the environment. “Vampire Energy” is the term for this phenomenon. Start by unplugging electrical gadgets that aren’t in use while working from home to increase sustainability. When you aren’t using something, such as your cell phone, laptop, coffee maker, microwave, or television, disconnect it. Even lowering the brightness on your computer monitor can save up to 20% of the energy used by the monitor. 

Less energy means less environmental stress! When not in use, always turn off standby or switch off at the wall. Use timer switches or plug-in remote-controlled sockets to turn off computers and printers, TVs, and gaming consoles overnight if sockets are difficult to reach or you’re prone to forget. LED light bulbs should be used to replace inefficient lighting, and lights should be turned off when not in use. Time spent in front of the screen should be limited. Because video streaming, emails, and online searches all have a carbon impact, taking a break from them will also save you energy. Look for energy-efficient models and use their eco settings when buying or updating electronic items

Bamboo Office Products are an option to consider. 

It’s critical to use office supplies that keep you comfortable, productive, and well-organized. However, many office products are made of plastic or other environmentally harmful materials. The environment should use bamboo-based items. Bamboo, for example, decomposes faster than plastic while remaining just as strong.

To save energy and avoid waste, eat well. Every year, average homes throw away 4.5 million tonnes of food, and while some food packaging can be recycled, many plastics and mixed materials will wind up in landfills or be burnt. With more people eating three meals a day at home and sipping endless cups of tea and coffee, reducing food and packaging waste is more vital than ever. Make lunch out of leftovers. If you work from home, a small number of leftovers that might otherwise go to waste makes an excellent quick lunch. Make a grocery list and plan meals ahead of time, including weekday lunches, to make it easy to buy only what you need and prevent wasting food.

Use the eco setting and fill the dishwasher. To save water and energy when washing dishes by hand, use a bowl and do it once a day rather than after each meal. Turn off the standby mode. Microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, and ovens may all be turned off at the mains, but the fridge and freezer must remain on all the time. When making hot drinks, don’t overfill the kettle; only boil as much as you’ll need or fill a flask to last all day. Choose plastic-free tea bags and coffee pods if you use them. When possible, utilize energy-saving appliances such as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or microwave instead of an oven.

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • October 7, 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 • October 4, 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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