 7 Simple Steps To Green Your Office
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STEP ONE: Use Recycled Office Paper
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Each year we use 750,000 tonnes of 'short life' office paper in the UK. Of these 75% are imported and 90% are thrown away as if they were waste. By purchasing recycled paper we can reduce landfill, cut imports and save energy. It takes half the energy to produce paper through recycling than it takes to pulp trees.
WHAT TO DO
Make sure your office buys readily available recycled paper » Laser Copier; Computer Listing; Envelopes; Notepads; Letterheads; Files & Folders.
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STEP TWO: Collect & Recycle your Office Paper
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It costs £30 (and more) per tonne to dispose of 'waste paper', yet it can be worth far more if it is sorted and recycled. In the UK we dispose of around 20 million tonnes of refuse each year [1], 90% of which ends up in landfill sites; Switzerland, on the other hand, dumps only 20% in this way. Offices are a major source of high quality sorted waste paper.
WHAT TO DO
Provide recycling bins beside desks, printers & copiers. Make sure you have separate bins for white paper and coloured mixed paper. Only by offering sorted white waste does it become viable for recyclers to collect your low value mixed waste. Contact a national recycling agent [2] to arrange for collections in your area.
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| STEP THREE: Avoid Disposable Products |
Many office products are sold as inexpensive commodities because [a] they have short lives and [b] are disposable. In practise, we all pay for the cost of disposal in pollution, waste and rapidly dwindling resources. Many offices buy items on price.. buying better quality durable and re-usable products can actually reduce your purchasing costs.
WHAT TO DO
• Recycle your laser and inkjet cartridges [3].
• Use refillable pens and long life markers.
• Buy long life light bulbs and heavy duty files.
• Use non disposable cups but, if you must use disposable cups, make sure they,
and other disposable products, can be recycled.
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| STEP FOUR: Avoid Unnecessary Chemicals |
Many products contain polluting chemicals that cause damage to the ecosystem in their production or disposal. Solvents in office products and furniture can cause irritation to occupant employees and can contribute to sick building syndrome. Often there are alternatives to the most dangerous chemicals that work just as well. There is no need to take risks with your health and environment when you don't have to.
WHAT TO DO
• Use polypropylene plastics in preference to PVC.
• Buy vegetable based glues, Toluene and Xylene free markers, Trichloroethane free
correctors and bio-degradable cleaning products.
• Make sure furniture has low levels of formaldahide or neutralise it with absorbing plants.
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| STEP FIVE: Reduce Energy Consumption |
Energy is not only expensive to use, it also has considerable environmental costs. The burning of fossil fuels is having unpredictable effects on our atmosphere and climate. Six of the seven warmest years on record have occurred in the last 15 years. Using less energy makes economic sense; it costs three times more to generate a watt of power than to save it. Business can also expect to pay ever higher taxes on energy use.
WHAT TO DO
• Set office temperatures at under 20°C.
• Install energy efficient boilers and controls.
• Appoint a member of staff to turn off lights and computers.
• Use low energy light bulbs, sava plugs and insulate roof spaces and doors.
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| STEP SIX: Improve Employee Environment |
Millions of pounds are spent each year on healthcare for employees and millions more are lost by employee absences due to poor office environments. This can be reduced by creating an environment that prevents health problems occurring.
WHAT TO DO
• Control humidity and ion levels.
• Create no smoking areas, use plants to filter the air and site photocopiers near vents.
• Buy full spectrum light tubes to alleviate S.A.D. and fit anti-radiation screens to VDUs.
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| STEP SEVEN: Make Travelling Sustainable |
Today our roads are saturated with traffic. We need to use cheaper cleaner and more reliable transport options at work and avoid the single occupancy car journey wherever possible.
WHAT TO DO
• Operate an office car sharing scheme.
• Offer financial incentives for staff to use public transport.
• Consider interest free loans for employees to buy bicycles
... and provide changing facilities!
• Demand electric and alternative fuel vehicles from fleet suppliers.
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