With how busy we all are throughout our workday, it’s easy to forget about the sustainable impact we each have while simply doing our jobs. Think of how many employees are in your company, and how many materials and resources we go through individually, then multiply the two together. It’s a lot! And that’s only one business. As a LEED certified company and national member of the US Green Building Council, EthoSource prides itself on the ability to furnish buildings with sustainable office furniture solutions to help reduce the carbon footprint that companies across the US are making on the environment. But once our job is done, it’s important to try and make a conscious effort to lessen your company’s personal impact on the environment on a daily basis. Here are some simple tips to make your office more sustainable:
Reusable Dishes
It’s typical to use plastic and paper products within the office cafeteria, but try stocking up on a handful of reusable dishware, cups, utensils, etc. for employees to use and wash once they’re finished. Making this switch will reduce tons of unnecessary disposal.
Scrap Collection
Whether it’s located by the printing area or another common area in the office, there should be a place for extra papers that can be used as scrap paper for other employees when the need arises. Instead of pulling out a new sheet of paper for an internal note, grab a sheet from the scrap collection and get better use out of your raw materials!
Bring Your Own Water Bottle
Encourage employees to bring a refillable water bottle or mug to work to eliminate excess waste, in addition to saving you money from stocking up on plastic water bottles. Employees get to show off their personality a little bit with fun, individual drinkware while most likely finding themselves to be staying better hydrated throughout the day with water constantly on hand. And of course, there’s less plastic waste to worry about.
Motion-Censored Lighting
Invest in lighting sensors for areas of the office that don’t get used as often as others. For offices like ours with large warehouse square footage, these are great spaces to utilize these lighting systems and save big on energy emission AND electric bills!
Use LED Lights
Another great way to save energy on lighting is to replace your old, inefficient lights with lower wattage lights such as LED or compact fluorescent lights. These lights are extremely energy efficient, have zero UV emissions and are free of toxic chemicals and materials.
Ditch the Expendables
Reusable bags are typically more durable and able to carry more weight. Whatever you’re using them for, choose bags you can use over and over instead of throwing away old plastic bags after a single use. Pack your lunch in reusable containers. A couple minutes of washing/cleaning up are worth it.
Make Sure to Unplug
This one is probably the easiest to overlook, but try to make a habit of unplugging devices and equipment when they’re not in use. Many electric devices have “stand-by power” modes that continue to draw electricity at all times, even when they’re not being used. This applies to things like TVs, microwaves and phone chargers. And try to turn off any lights that aren’t needed as well!
Green Computer Practices:
-Print double-sided… make it your default printer setting
-OR don’t print at all! Keep things digital when you can
-Use power-saving features on your computer
-Buy energy efficient computers
-Recycle old computer when you can
– Unplug it when you’re not using it
Redesign Your Workplace
This is one of the biggest ways to reduce your carbon footprint and we’re more than happy to help. As mentioned in our intro, pre-owned and refurbished office furniture eliminates the use of all new raw materials and extends the lifespan of pre-existing furniture that is in too good of condition to throw away! Here at EthoSource, we save tons of high-end, quality furniture from the dumpster and make it look like new again with our refurbishing process. For
valuable LEED points and a highly sustainable office that you’ll love, choose recycled office furniture… and give us a call!
610.286.1766
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