You may have been working hard to lower your carbon footprint at home, but what about in the office? As that is where most people spent a great deal of their days, then it makes sense to make improvements here too.
There are plenty of things you can do right now to make your office more eco-friendly. Here are a few examples to get you started.
- Consider the lighting
Most offices are kept lit throughout the day for various reasons, such as lack of access to natural light. It may also be the case that some people prefer to work with the blinds down to avoid glare on their computer screens. This uses up unnecessary energy.
To counter this, aim to make the best of any available natural light and encourage your colleagues to do the same. If this is just not possible, then try switching to low-energy LED bulbs. These eco-friendly lights use around 40 times less electricity than regular ones – quite a big difference!
- Turn everything off
Often in offices, lights, computers, and other devices are left on throughout the day and, in many instances, the night, too. This means that a lot of energy is going to waste. You can make a difference here by simply switching off anything you come across that is not in use.
Ensure that you also turn your computer off at the end of the day. Remember, even on standby mode, a computer is still sucking up power, so it’s better for it to completely shut them down.
- Switch out desktops for laptops
Laptops are a staggering 80% more efficient than regular desktop computers. So, if it’s possible for you to switch out your computer, then this is probably one of the best ways that you personally can be more energy efficient at work.
Many laptops these days also have power management options that you can activate. These can help ensure that you are using as little energy as possible. So make sure you are utilizing these as well in your quest to go green.
- Go as paperless as possible
While it may not be possible for your office to go completely paper-free, you should still try to be aware of how you are using paper. Think carefully before printing off any documents – is it really necessary for you to do so?
If you do need to print things off, aim to use both sides of the paper, and then utilize old print outs for making notes. Finally, of course, don’t forget to recycle the paper when you are finished with it.
- Keep recycling bins handy
You may find that people initially seem keen to recycle at work; however, you may also find that their enthusiasm quickly diminishes if recycling practices are not clear and if people have to work too hard to do it.
The best way to overcome this is to ensure that there are designated recycling areas, that these areas are convenient for most of the office workers, and also that they are clearly labeled, so people know exactly where to put everything.
- Check the thermostat
The thermostat can be one of the biggest issues within an office in terms of energy use. It is surprising what an impact raising or lowering the temperature even a single degree can have.
If you have access to your office’s thermostat, you may consider lowering it slightly in the winter and raising it a little in the summer. This can help to make your office significantly more energy-efficient, and chances are your colleagues won’t even notice the difference.
