Is your office environmentally friendly?

Over the last few years, people have started to become far more aware of the significant impact humanity is having on the environment. From global deforestation to the build-up of plastic waste in the oceans, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating mass of waste three times the size of France, never before have we been so aware of the impact we are having on the world around us. While it may seem that these are distant problems, unrelated to your day to day life, there are some very small changes that can be made to your working environment that can have a significant effect on the planet in the longer term. Here are some of our top tips for making your office environmentally friendly.

Printing

In the modern connected office, there are fewer and fewer reasons to physically print things. In many instances, it is far easier and quicker to email documents and read them on screen, than it is to print them out. Reducing the amount of printing you do has an effect on paper wastage and ink usage.

Recycling

When you do have to print, it is important to ensure that your office has the facilities to properly recycle. A separate bin for recyclable products is a great start. In the longer term, ensuring that items such as printer cartridges and electrical items are properly disposed of can be a vital step to minimising the environmental impact of your office.

Power

While there are certain items, such as servers that need to stay on all the time, it is important to minimise electricity wastage. Getting staff to shut down any non-essential electrical items at closing time can not only reduce electricity waste but also cut down on bills!

Furniture

When choosing office furniture, it is important to ensure that the products you choose are environmentally friendly. This means ensuring that any wood products, such as desks and storage, are made from FSC certified wood. This way, you can be sure that the wood used for your furniture is sourced from forests that are responsibly managed to ensure regrowth and a maintained ecosystem. All products here on Bluespot Furniture are made from FSC certified wood.

Drinks

In many offices, it is common to see disposable coffee cups from the local coffee shop. To reduce waste, many coffee shops now sell reusable cups that you can take back again and again. Alternatively, purchasing tea and coffee making facilities for the office can help to reduce this waste and the need to leave the office for drinks. A word of warning, though. Coffee pod machines produce a large amount of waste, so finding an environmentally friendly option is preferable.

Food

The products that people buy for lunch or snacks are typically packaged in all kinds of wrappers and packets. To minimise this waste, why not encourage your staff to bring their own lunch from home? Providing a small kitchen space with a fridge, microwave and some storage space can not only cut down on waste but help to save your staff some money.

Just these few changes can have a significant impact on the environmental impact of your office. If you've got any additional tips that you think we've missed, why not get in touch at help@bluespotfurniture.com.