1. Reduce travel
The first and easiest way is to get around without polluting – or reduce the number of meetings you go to. If you have to go out for a meeting, why not try cycling, walking or even rollerblading? Not only will you not be producing pollution or harmful greenhouse gases but you’ll have the added benefit of maintaining your physical wellness. 20 minutes of walking will burn 83 calories. Top tip: opt for virtual meetings through online video conference or conference calls.
2. Go online with your marketing
As 82.5 per cent of the UK population is now online, why not email your customers rather than sending out direct mail through the post. Harnessing the power of the internet in publicising your company to a wider audience at very little cost will not only save you the cost of production, paper and ink but will also reduce your environmental impact by using less paper.
3. Choose low-energy light lamps
To reduce your electricity consumption, use low energy lamps. Not only do they have a shelf life 10 times longer than a conventional bulb but they consume five times less electricity.
4. Print less
Sounds pretty simple but think about how much you print in the office and how much of it is actually useful. Printing too much in the office contributes to the destruction of approximately 13-15m hectares of forests in Africa and South America. Top tip: Print double-sided or multiple pages per sheet and try to recycle printer toners and used paper.
5. Abandon the plastic cup
Did you know that plastic cups are mainly made from petroleum? And think of the impact on the environment of extraction, refinement and production of the plastic cups you use. Top tip: invest in some mugs or glasses that can be re-used time and again, when a member of staff drinks two coffees a day, they use more than 400 cups per year.
6. Turn off the lights when you leave an empty room
Simple to say but never easy to do! Turn off the lights when they are not needed, and fight against global warming and the greenhouse effect. Top tip: try this at home, as this simple action helps to lower your electric bill.
7. Turn off your devices!
Try to get into the habit of turning your computer, printer and scanner off when you leave the office. Did you know that if you leave them on standby when you go home they can use up to 300kWh per year – a cost of £50 per device per year, which all adds up. Top tip: not all computers consume energy in the same way. Choose a laptop that reduces the energy consumption by 50 to 80 per cent compared to a computer.
8. Sort your waste
Correctly sorting out waste means certain reusable materials and packaging can be effectively and efficiently recycled. You’ll be doing your bit to reduce waste of natural resources and reduce the amount of landfill. Did you know that only 7.5 per cent of the amount of printing and writing paper that we use in our offices is recycled each year? A massive 80.6m tons is simply thrown away. Top tip: simply assign a bin for each type of waste, paper, cardboard, cans, etc and follow the instructions on the sort guide.
