What are your tips for a green office?

[PeterG]

It is not just the production of the paper though, it is all that goes with it. The shredders, the packaging, the waste handling etc etc.

Also old kitchen appliances make good metal white boards, not the whole thing obviously - just the sides.

What a great idea!

 

[td2011]

Couldn't agree more with you two.

I care about the planet but when people - from either side of the argument-spectrum - talk about environmental factors I always think, 'yeh, but why waste stuff in the first place?'

You've got people in third-world countries collecting plastic bags from rubbish-tips because they're valuable and here we down a can of Coke and toss the aluminium into a bin to be buried in landfill.

It blows my mind, when I think about it.

Yes there is alot up with that. And the island of plastic in the Pacific Ocean? So sad, where do you start?

 

[LicensedToTrade]

A couple of coats of this should do the trick...

 

[4success]

Tips for a green office.
1 Think about using less stuff & reward staff & customers that help you reduce use.
2 Switch off computers when not in use eg during lunch, meetings & when going home. Standby can use as much energy as fully working.
3 Only switch on printers when needed & have a set time for printing eg 1 hour before the post is collected.
4 Use daylight as much as possible for illumination
5 generate your own electricity via solar cells - and take advantage of the feed-in tariff before the Government axes it.
6 Have a plan for encouraging workers to car share, walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work
7 Have a living roof as it will provide better insulation (so lower heating cost) while also reducing the climate change resulting from urbanisation & increasing habitats for bio-diversity
8 Have living plants around the office to absorb the electromagnetic radiation form computers etc and also produce Oxygen to aid logical thought.
9 have personalised cups for drinks via the tap or kettle not the drink dispensers that encourage one use cups.
10 Remember to reduce use before re-using and only then recycle the item.

 

[KF_Researcher]

What made me giggle was that the paper my school (in Canterbury, UK) usedwas being flown in from Australia. Look at where your such items come from and buy locally if possible!

 

[fansup]

Copy and paste this to the bottom of your email signiture

Not only looks good environmentally, but also good common sense as well.

P Please consider the environment before printing this email.

 

[projectfriday]

I make DIY notepads from printouts (wrong way round, upside down, wrong file, etc), score by 4 for an A6 notepad using the reverse side and bind them together. I've got loads of them around the office, though I use wirebound notepads for meetings (still, recycled pads).

 

[KF_Researcher]

Copy and paste this to the bottom of your email signiture

Not only looks good environmentally, but also good common sense as well.

P Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Good shout!

 

[bad rabbit]

fax to email, saves a fortune on paper and ink from all those annoying junk mails.
Should you be interested please pm me and I will show you the way

 

[bluelight]

You could of course make sure that your roof is adequately insulated and the walls are injected with insulation too.

We have done this for business and domestic premises for the last 2 years now and it works really well.

 

[James Copperwaite]

Interesting post. Here are a few tip that will definitely help.

• Having a paperless office.
• Using renewable energy.
• Encouraging employees to share journeys to work or opt to use public transport as an alternative.
• Opening the windows instead of relying on air conditioning in the office.
• Recycling paper and reducing the levels of packaging.
• Using biodegrade plastics cups for the water machine.
• Turing your PC off at night.
• Recycling those ink cartridges.

As a business you may want to do more. Or, been seen doing more. Introducing environmentally friendly measures is simple and avoids the negative attention that may arise through not attending to your environmental responsibilities. However, the business will want to avoid being labelled greenwashing, which is effectively a PR spin to promote the business policies as environmentally friendly, when effectively doing very little.

I hope this helps.

 

[Carl Chambers]

let me know if you would like some free education on this ?
can demonstrate on line if required

 

[SBToolkit]

1. Replace all halogen 50W bulbs with 35W alternatives and de-lamp areas that are over-lit.

2. Powerflush your heating system at least one a year to remove sludge and limescale in your radiators and thereby improve efficiency. Related to this I have also seen great results from vacuum cleaning ceiling-mounted AC units to clean the filters. I recommend doing this once every three months.

3. If you operate a building management system then I would encourage you to conduct weekly tests to see which settings are optimal in terms of energy usage. You can track variations in your system setup by logging meter consumption on a week-by-week basis. Small tweaks here and there can save loads of energy.

4. Upgrade old plant equipment such as motors with variable speed drives and old boilers with modern condensing alternative. If you have a three-phase supply you may want to consider voltage optimisation - its expensive but can pay back quickly.

5. Finally, engage people in the organisation to help in your energy reduction commitment. Getting people to shut-down / turn-off small appliances and electronics when not is use can save a significant amount over the year. Alternatively you may want to consider automatic shut-down software to turn off computers and printers in the evening.

I hope this provides some food for thought.

 

[tom cady]

hi everyone,
Lighting- lighting accounts for as much as 30 per cent of the average office’s energy use. Try using low energy alternatives, like LEDs. Recycle-Recycling is a simple and effective way to reduce your environmental impact
Abandon paper-Many businesses use far more paper than is necessary. Consider ways that you can share documents digitally.
Look at equipment-When you are upgrading or replacing equipment, make sure that you consider energy efficiency before making a decision.
Reduce drips-Water usage is often overlooked by businesses looking to reduce their environmental impact Encourage new habits-Changing behavior amongst employees can be one of the most effective ways of reducing energy efficiency

 

[loudBANG design]

we have just had our electricity changed to an eco- power company and as a design and letterpress printing company we intend on using 100% cotton paper and water soluble polymer plates for our hand printing. The inks are however rubber based and although their are soya based inks available we hear the process of making these inks is not so eco-friendly. Our printing presses are both manual presses and do not use any energy source other than my own pulling and pushing power. We have also installed energy efficient bulbs and leds where possible.

One of the main wastage we have is everyday paper from our epson printer(recycled stock) as we have to always try prints on the inkjet to see how it comes out before making letterpress prints (inkjet printer uses continuous ink system so no wasting plastic cartridges every two weeks) we would love to recycle our own paper but it is just impractical. And using cotton paper for normal inkjet testing is also not practical with regards to costs as cotton paper for printing works out at about 30 cent a sheet of A4. I guess we can just do as much as we can to better our ecologic footprint making sure in the process we don't put ourselves out of business.

Our coffee beans are fair trade from Ecuador (a lot of bad emmissions flying those over) and our tea bags are the supermarket's best organic.

 

[xiaoneitie]

Great tips.
LED lighting is a good power saver.
In terms of the Whiteboard, I think if you can buy eco friendly markers, the whiteboard is a great way of saving paper.
An an extra tip I was thinking of standby killers on all pc workstations in a office.

 

[dave_evans]

1) Scan incoming post and distribute it electronically for these reasons:
Shockingly, it's quite normal for an inbound invoice to be photocopied just so it can be passed around one department!
If you convert the scanned image to a searchable PDF (this is something we can do for you on-line) then the recipient can copy the text & paste it into Word or what have you. The alternative is that someone photocopies the original..again...
Once a document is scanned - and especially if it's searchable - you'll find you won't need to store as much of the paper as before and your consumption of storage boxes, filing cabinets and so on can reduce.

2) Have computers set-up so they turn off screens and reduce speed when they're not used for a certain number of minutes; turning off entirely after, say, 30 minutes of inactivity.

3) A fair number of things use electricity even when they're turned off: laptops, low-voltage desk lamps, mains-powered phone or entertainment device chargers and cordless phones.
For the home office, these will all be on or near the desk: move the 4-way mains extension block that you'll have this lot plugged into and put it on the desk behind the laptop - now you can easily unplug what you're not using.

4) Small office / shared workspaces: get everyone to agree it's a huge waste of energy to refill the kettle to the top and turn it on 'for the next person'. I've seen this practice in almost every serviced office I've ever been in or visited and I've never understood it!

5) Go to the loo two at a time so you can flush half as often..no, no..I'm joking!

 

[4success]

Deciding why all your staff need to be in the office at the same time as everyone else when they would be less stressed & more productive when work flexible hours or worked from home (paid on results not time ). Then think how you can provide green transport eg a bus or bikes from the station.
Waste at work can be reduced by switching off computers & printers at night and ensuring the cleaners switch off the lights once they finish their monthly clean.

Switching off computers & printers (instead of going into standby mode) reduces electricity consumption and thus costs.
Only switching on printers for set periods eg 2pm to 3pm will save on electricity and encourage people to think before they print so reduce the costs of paper & printer ink as most printing is unnecessary now that documents can be shared securely on line for collaborative projects. Once the printed paper has been finished with it should be reused and then recycled away from the drink cans as mixing recyclable items reduces the value of recycling so is another example of poor practice that the government sector do.
Switching off the lights, using natural light where ever possible, opening the blinds & windows to control temperature will improve worker health and reduce the exposure to harmful electro-magnetic radiation
Asking the workers for suggestions on how to reduce waste and implementing at least one of them each month after a vote by the workers will benefit the organisation in two major ways

1. Reduce the waste the organisation produces so will lower the environmental impact of the organisation & lower costs – especially if the organisation is socially responsible enough to use true costing.
2. Boost worker moral so less cost of staff replacement or sickness and workers are more willing to change habits to benefit the organisation as it adapts to the changing world.

 

[elena gilbert]

Hello,
My tips for a green office would be:

1. Cut down or eliminate your use of products that there are no green alternatives for, such as rubber bands.
2. Save paper by not printing whenever possible. Put a prominent sign up in the office to remind users to print only when necessary.
3. Use your printer's eco-mode if it has one.
4. Buy and use recycled paper.
5. Replace Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors with flat screen monitors. Flat screen displays consume only about one-third the energy of a CRT monitor.
6. Use light wall colors; light paint colours and higher gloss sheens reflect daylight, meaning your space will need less overhead lighting. BC Hydro has an excellent guide for making the most of natural light to light your office space.

Thank You.

 

[TheBAB]

Some excellent tips here!

Any ideas for improving staff engagement?

 

[chrisitine]

The key to a truly green office is to not have a dedicated office space at all. This is difficult for larger businesses I admit, although they could do more on flexible working to reduce premises size, but for small businesses with a handful of employees it is unnecessary most of the time in today's connected society. Employees can stay in touch almost continuously from home using services such as Skype and Google Chat. They can use a multitude of collaborative tools that allow virtual white boarding and joint update of documents. They can remotely and securely access shared files.

A lot of effort is involved in trying to make multiple small changes to an office to reduce its environmental impact whereas a single large change in the form of collaborative remote working will make an enormous, long term change and drastically reduce the commuting impact - not to mention the overall economic incentive to change.

 

[Jet Virtual]

Well I would say having NO office at all is probably the most GREEN way to work!

 

[imbigboned]

LED lights are definitely the way forward, but as an importer of these lights, I would caution everyone out there to be very wary of overstated lifespans, and be aware that you do get what you pay for.

Whilst there are some very good ones out there, unfortunately there are now some very prominent Chinese manufactured units that are just plain terrible. You would be shocked by how many units are in this country, that shouldnt be - I know of one very prominent name, who buys from a factory that offered me lighting which wouldnt pass CE testing, but would stamp the light anyway, conveying an impression that they were legal to use in this country.

I've been selling LED lighting for nearly 2 years now. All I can say is that the quality and lifespans have improved, but a totally different mindset and re education in lighting is required when adopting to this change.

In warehouses, why not consider moving away from tube lighting to high bay LED's for instance. Yes they are more expensive than traditional retrofit LED's, but if specified correctly, a better quality of light can be obtained, and greater efficiencies can be achieved.

Education is the greatest tool in becoming environmentally aware of our responsibility.

 

[Niamh-Allan]

Stay informed about going green. Use minimum electricity and switch off the light5s wen not in use.

 

[Compostguy]

After lunch, collect everyone's food waste and throw it in the compost bin.

 

[Swapnil007]

I will suggest to minimize the use of electricity by installing LED Lights around the office premises and make maximum utilisation of paper and use it only when in utmost need don't waste paper

 

[loubycee]

Recycle as much as you can - though it usually costs you to have someone collect your recycling

Only use air con when it's really necessary - and if you have a particular type of system get it audited and certify its efficiency

Install a gym if you have spare space and can't downsize - great for motivation in the office (I know, not green but I think its a great thing, try www.energy-fitpro.co.uk who manage it for you)

Don't have vending machines, water bottles etc

Fit lighting that switches off automatically when there is no movement in the room

Use cleaners that are eco-friendly and only use organic or natural products

 

[detgadget]

Only use the printer or copier if absolutely necessary.

 

[Niamh-Allan]

[FONT=&quot]The best of the techniques would include to make your office's architecture sun light friendly. This way your electricity bill will cut down to a great extent and at the same time you would contribute your share for the greener environment. The other techniques described above such as the use of white board and the LED lights are equally beneficial.
[/FONT]

 

[Treebox]

Think about the outside of your office as well as the inside. We specialise in green/living walls and edible walls. Not only will the outside of your office look more attractive with a green wall, it increases biodiversity, encouraging new birds and insects into the area. Also, increasing vegetation in urban areas can cool the air and reduce reflected heat. It also reduces the amount of stormwater management required for a building, reduces noise and dust, and provides insulation, thus reducing energy bills.
Call us on 020 8543 4530 for further info.

 

[hamptonbay]

Purchase recycled paper products. But don’t stop there – make sure you use both sides of printer and copier paper as much as possible.

 

[Writeaway]

If you attend exhibitions or provide business giveaways, think about an environmentally friendly alternative. There are lots on environmentally friendly promotional products including clothing, paper products, bags etc - made from natural or recycled materials.

 

[rock24]

Recycling your papers can save you money also reduce power consumption -esp. when it is not that important.

 

[silliker]

Using LED,shredding and among other products that really are Eco-friendly. Also,Recycling and Reusing those that can still be use.

 

[heatpumps]

According to my advice,the green electricity marketplace can assist you in switching to a green electricity supplier business tariff. You might make savings and eliminate the climate change levy from your bill.

 

[PURPLE BUBBLE]

As a copywriter, green marketing is something that I feel particularly passionate about. I do not sleep soundly unless I know I am doing the right thing – by my clients, by the local community and by the UK’s fragile environment.

With this in mind, I pride myself on my green copywriting credentials. Of course, I cannot vouch for all my clients and partners, but my home office is getting greener day by day.

I use public transport when I can and always use recycled paper, re-use it for all my creative scribbles, and then recycle it again. I currently have no car (lasted over 5 months now so getting fitter, saving money and helping the environment- My sister said with my old car that I was killing the polar bears! Very true and my tax confirmed this!!)

I email all invoices and statements unless otherwise requested and only turn on the heating and lighting when I really need to. I believe that every business, large or small, has a responsibility to minimise its impact on the environment and we must all be more conscious of green issues.

Keep up the good work guys!

Thanks
Hannah

 

[siwi]

Reduce the overuse of paper..
Don't use power resources if not necessary!
While leaving office make sure you have switched off light and fans!
These little steps can help a lot!

 

[kelvin067]

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[sarahjohs]

Recycled paper and frugal consumption of electricity. We do everything we can online.

 

[shellrob]

our office try to work as green as possible - we use both sides of the paper - not just bin it when finished we then load printer with it to us the other side - plus i us paper used paper for my scrap note book which i hold together with a plastic bulldog clip -as we are also a metal free office - it as saved a great deal on paper and note books