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Environmental concern has grown stronger than ever over the last ten years. Governments, big businesses and the general public are finally recognising the damage we have done. From hacking away the planet’s vital resources to pumping CO2 into the air, it’s all adding up. Big changes are ahead and it’s time to jump on the bandwagon! Even if your concern doesn’t lie with the planet, there are endless benefits to going green. Every suggestion in this article will cut your business costs too! Saving the planet and saving your bank balance go hand in hand. Let’s take a look.
1. Go paperless
Let’s face it, we all hate the stacks of paper that build up on our desk. It’s messy and inefficient. Then there’s the endless drafts of proposals or documents floating around the office. It’s a complete waste! Implement a paper free policy and try to do everything online. With cloud services like Google Docs you can collaborate on documents as a team. Send electronic invoices and keep online accounts. Some of the biggest businesses in the world are now paper free, why not try it? At the very least, it will cut your business costs down.
2. Structural changes
This may not be possible if you are renting your office. However, if you own it, you’ll make a big difference with a few structural changes. Insulation plays a huge part in how much heating you need to consume. If you can upgrade the insulation in your building, you’ll save a fortune on heating bills. Another great trick is commercial window tinting. These help keep a regulated temperature which will save you money on your energy bills.
3. Renewable energy
There are some office spaces around the world that are now entirely carbon neutral. That means they produce as much energy as they consume. The Co-Op headquarters in Manchester, UK is one such example. This is a tall order, but you could certainly harness the power of solar panels or wind turbines. They could significantly cut your energy costs and pay for themselves in a year or two. Furthermore, if you used things like Air Source Heat Pumps with solar panels it can produce the best heating and cooling for your office whilst using renewable energy to produce it. This ensures employee satisfaction as well as saving energy costs and helping your company to turn green.
4. Recycle
Think about how much stuff gets thrown away in your office every single day. From paper to packaging waste to paperclips. It might not seem like much, but it sure adds up across the whole office. It certainly adds up across all the offices in the country. We are simply running out of landfill space, and throwing trash in the oceans is not the answer! Think before you throw something away; could it be reused or recycled?
5. Tone down energy use
This will require a big team effort and employee training can really help here. Try to eliminate the impact of computers left on overnight or excess energy use in communal areas. Turn down the thermostat a notch or two, no-one will know the difference. It’s all about the little changes you can make. They all add up to make a big difference.
Going green is not only good for the planet, it’s good for business! You’ll save money, increase productivity and feel good about doing it. How many of these ideas could you implement right now?