“Going Green” is a continually increasing trend in the workplace. Why? Because energy-efficient practices not only benefit the environment, but can also save a company a lot of money. Consumers take notice when businesses are regularly taking measures to reduce harm on the environment and ensure the well-being of its employees. This means enhancing your company’s reputation without requiring you to take any drastic measures. Instead, there are hundreds of simple ways to maximize your energy use and your savings.
First things first, you need to identify and measure your company’s current ecological and carbon footprints. Knowing exactly what that means is your first step in the right direction. A carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, person, or product in terms of how much carbon dioxide is emitted when energy is expended. In order to make changes to become greener, you need to identify what’s currently making your company not-so-green. This will help you plan out where you want to be down the road. Review gas, water, and electric bills, install energy monitors on certain office equipment, or hire a specialist to take the appropriate measurements. This little bit of time and money spent now, will save you a lot later.
Once you know where you’re using the most energy, make those changes. This may include switching to digital contracts and invoicing in order to reduce paper use, educating employees on how to properly use your office equipment to eliminate mistakes and wasted resources, or investing in newer office equipment or Energy Star rated appliances that won’t drain your energy. Most modern appliances are much more efficient than older models and can save up to 80% of energy used by your company. Also, try switching to automatic lighting in rooms that are rarely used to have a big impact on your electric bill. Here at EthoSource, our warehouses all have energy-efficient, automatic lighting to prevent wasted energy in such a large space.
The most obvious way to be green is to recycle/reuse. Whether it’s printer paper, plastic utensils, or batteries, don’t just throwaway opportunities to reuse these materials. What is less obvious to some is that all your office furniture can be eco-friendly as well. Save your company money by looking into buying pre-owned office furniture or utilizing liquidation services for the furniture you already own. There are quality pre-owned office furniture options for purchase or you can maximize the value of your furniture by selling it to be refurbished or reused.
Lastly, consider sharing office space. Get the most out of your space and resources by having employees working in customizable cubicles that fit your employee needs. Collaborative work places aren’t only good for maximizing your work area, but have been said to promote innovation and productivity. Ethospace cubicles can easily be added to or taken down to accommodate specific needs for multiple-employee workstations that save resources and energy, but don’t sacrifice comfort.