How you can make your office more environmentally friendly

Nowadays, an office that is not environmentally friendly is outdated and out of fashion. To keep track of the rapidly changing industry and the environment, companies need offices that are environmentally friendly and give priority to sustainability. Apart from the fact that it is good for the environment, an environmentally friendly office offers your company many other benefits.

In this article we look at why it is essential to go green, the benefits of going green and some specific ways for companies to go green. So if you are looking for ways to make your office more environmentally friendly and social more responsible, read on!

 

The importance of going green

To understand how important it is for your office to take environmental initiatives, we must talk about what "going green" means. The greenery includes learning an environmentally conscious lifestyle to protect our natural environment by maintaining and maintaining natural resources, habitats and biodiversity. On a practical level, greening means embracing a way of life that helps to protect the environment by adopting environmentally friendly habits, such as reducing, reusing and recycling articles.

Ultimately, the most important goals of going to go:

• Reduce pollution
• Lower the consumption of resources
• Eliminate waste
• Preservation forests and natural resources
• Preserve the natural ecological balance of the earth, so that all living beings can survive and thrive in their natural habitat

So why are these green goals essential? Of course we all have the civil obligation to protect the planet on which we live and take care of it, but companies get an extra social responsibility. Because companies process so many materials every year, they can make the largest contribution to reducing waste and saving our resources.

Going green also has extra advantages for companies. View the three main reasons why your company should turn green below.

 

1. Sustainability
In general, green is about maintaining the health of the environment. Your company can have a positive influence on the world by using a more sustainable approach to things and including environmentally friendly working methods in daily activities. Although you can take more major steps in the direction of sustainability, such as converting the building into an alternative form of energy such as sun or wind, switching off all lights in unused rooms can help your company prevent waste.

Regardless of what your office decides to do to become greener, by taking measures to reduce the raw materials that your company regularly uses, natural resources are retained. Sustainability helps to protect the health of our environment and promotes economic and social development. Your company can make the world a better place for everyone by applying sustainable methods.

2. Financial savings
Because green is also going to reduce waste, it can significantly improve the overall efficiency of a company and at the same time lower the total operating costs. By reducing, reusing and recycling materials, business leaders can prevent the waste of money and natural resources.

For example, if you disable the heating or air conditioning of the building at night, save energy, reduce the energy costs and improve the operating results. Similarly, switching to digital file management and less printing will reduce paper consumption and reduce the amount of money spent on buying print material. Consider buying refillable ink cartridges instead of disposable cartridges to save money and reduce the amount of plastic that your company throws away.

3. Healthier working environment
In addition to protecting the environment on earth, going green ensures a better office environment. The environmentally friendly changes that your company makes can have a positive influence on the overall health and the mood of your employees. Working in an environmentally conscious environment can even make them more motivated and more productive.

In particular, the trade -in of your usual cleaning items for green cleaning items that contain less aggressive chemicals can help employees who live with respiratory disorders or other health problems. Some commonly used cleaning schemicals, such as sodium hypochlorite, have a high degree of toxicity. Exchange these cleaning products for green cleaning products, which mainly use natural substances, such as baking soda or lemons, can help prevent health complications that are often caused by aggressive chemicals.

The top 3 benefits of a green office

Although Groen is crucial for the health of our planet, environmentally conscious offices offer additional benefits. Although there are a few costs associated with green in advance, the following benefits of environmentally friendly offices show that the effort will be worthwhile.

1. Legal and tax benefits
Now that municipalities are increasingly starting to tighten emission allowances, Groen can bring your company some legal benefits. By including green technology in the activities of your company, you can considerably reduce emissions and you can meet the standards of your municipality. You can also benefit from many other tax reductions and incentives to turn green.

Depending on where you have established your company, you may be eligible for exemption from sales tax if you use solar energy systems, machines, equipment and other renewable energy technologies. Together with some state benefits, Groen can deliver more greenery of the federal government. If your company uses solar or wind energy, you can get a tax credit.

 

2. Happy employees and higher productivity
Working in a green office will of course improve the mood of your employees and make the office more pleasant. A green, energy -efficient office usually has more windows, more natural light and a better air flow, all of which contribute to a more pleasant environment to work in and to promote the health of employees. Offices with natural lighting, plants, sufficient ventilation and non-toxic cleaning products reported a significant decrease in the number of illness days of employees and a lower staff turnover.

Studies have also shown that office workers with windows are exposed 173% more to white light every working day and sleep on average 46 minutes more per night than people without windows. This extra sleep can help employees better concentrate during the working day and increase their productivity. Research has also shown that green offices can result in an increase of 26% in the cognitive thinking of employees, with remarkable improvements in strategy, use and crisis response.

Adding green accents to the office can also increase efficiency. A study showed that placing plants around an office can lead to an increase in the productivity of employees by 15%. These results can be because plants help regulate humidity and air quality, while making us calmer and relaxing.

Because higher levels of employee happiness correlate with more efficient employees, a greener workspace can improve the concentration and satisfaction in the workplace. By stimulating the cognition and physical and mental health of employees, investing in greener practices will be worthwhile for both your employees and your company in general.

 

3. Positive reactions from the public
Going green is also an important victory in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for a company. Green companies and brands are generally more attractive for consumers and applicants, which means that green can lead to more new customers and sell more. Because 86% of Dutch consumers indicated that they expect companies to be involved in some form of CSR or activism, companies can earn a positive reputation by turning green.

Millennials in particular prefer more environmentally friendly companies. In one survey, 75% of the millennial respondents said that they would be willing to accept a wage reduction if that meant that they had to work somewhere where environment and social responsibility is exercised. Now that both employees and consumers attach more value to environmentally friendly companies and products than ever, it is wise for companies to double their efforts in the field of sustainability.

The positive public image of green projects means that in addition to saving your company, reducing waste, embracing environmentally friendly business -wide practices can stimulate your brand perception, inspire a loyal clientele and generate more income for the coming years. Although higher profits and a positive public response should not be the only motivation of your company to turn green, the desirable side effects of sustainability and CSR are not.

6 tips to make your office environmentally friendly

Now that you know why companies should turn green, you might wonder how to make your office more environmentally friendly. If you are looking for successful initiatives in the field of sustainability in the office, view these green tips for offices.

1. Reuse and recycling
You can exchange enough office supplies for more sustainable options. For example, ask employees to take reusable cups from home instead of filling the canteen with paper disposable cups. You can even have a customized mugs with the company logo made on it to stimulate the moral of the team. In addition to mugs, consider replacing disposable items with real plates, glasses and cutlery.

The coffee machine also offers plenty of opportunities to be sustainable. Switch to coffee filters from recycled paper or even replace the current coffee maker with a device that does not need a paper filter. Compost the coffee grounds to do that little bit extra.

In addition to reuse, make sure that your company does recycling. Remind everyone in your office to regularly recycle is one of the easiest ways to stimulate sustainability. Put trash bins next to every trash can in the office and place plates above the trash cans that clearly indicate the acceptable recycling items for your country.

2. Go digitally
Even better than recycled paper is not paper at all. Where possible, work paperless by encouraging employees to keep documents digitally instead of printing them.

Because revisions, corrections and updates to printed documents make up 90% of the total office waste in the country, the electronic storage of papers instead of in archive cabinets will make a major contribution to reducing waste. If the US were to reduce the use of paper by only 10%, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.45 million tons, which would be the same if it would take 280,000 cars off the road for a year.

Companies can work paperless by using digital options such as e-statements, digital invoices, e-signature tools and automated payment systems. By signing documents electronically, you save paper because you no longer have to print agreements before signing them, so that your company can save storage space and ink. Although an automated payment process can reduce the paperwork by making physical checks superfluous, it can also make your company work more efficiently by streamlining the credit process.

3. Supporting efforts for green commuting traffic
Encouraging employees to carpooling, taking public transport, going to the office on foot or by bike, is an ideal strategy to encourage them to reduce their emissions from commuting. Organize a company -wide carpool by placing a registration form in a shared office space and sending reminder emails to employees. Together with green, Carpoolen can be a positive experience for the bond between employees and at the same time save some gas money.

While you are going digitally, consider offering employees home work opportunities. By letting employees work at home in some days, traveling of employees can be reduced and the ecological footprint of your company can be reduced.

4. Optimize your natural lighting
Trust in natural more than artificial lighting where possible an effective way to save energy. An environmentally friendly office design must maximize the natural light by moving furniture that blocks windows, removing large shades or even adding skylights. By increasing the amount of natural light in your office building, you reduce energy consumption and your company saves money on the energy bill.

Because natural light in the workplace supports multiple physiological functions, optimizing the natural light in your office will also benefit your employees. Studies have shown that employees who are within 3 meters of a window suffer 84% less from headache and less tired eyes and blurry seeing than employees who are far from natural light removed. While 77% of the employees surveyed said that natural lighting was essential for them, only 58% indicated that they were satisfied with the current lighting situation at the office.

Apart from maximizing natural light, resting of each workstation with a smart socket, replacing all lighting fixtures with LEDs and setting office lighting with sensors or timers are great strategies to save energy in the office.

5. Adopt some desk plants
Getting nature into the house is a fun way to put sustainability into practice. Adding some plants to the layout of your office is another simple way to improve the air quality in the building and at the same time improve its aesthetics and to make the workplace more homely. Because plants produce oxygen, they can compensate for all chemicals and toxins in the air that circulate through the indoor air of your office, making your office a cleaner and pleasant place to work.

As a bonus, your new office plants will love to absorb all the natural light.

6. Buy Modular Furniture
As your company grows, you can be confronted with the need for new office furniture configurations that are suitable for your growing workforce. Because modular office furniture can be mixed and combined and re -configured when your company grows, it is ideal for environmentally conscious companies.

Instead of having to replace your office furniture and workspaces every time your company grows, you can expand and remove your current design with modular office furniture. This flexibility gives you numerous possibilities to rearrange your current furniture without giving them away.

 

A sustainable office is more successful if the employees are environmentally conscious. Applying green practices in their working life helps to improve overall sustainability in your office and can even be taken over in their personal lives. There are many ways to encourage your employees to be more Eco-Savvy, but here are some great places to start:

Walk for energy saving in the office: although switching to renewable energy sources may not be an option for you, there are many other ways in which your employees can help save energy in the office. For example, if your staff make it a habit of removing electronics from the socket and to turn off lights when they are not in use, this can make a big difference in your energy consumption.
Implement a recycling program: management of office waste with a recycling program can make your office more environmentally friendly if your waste is treated correctly. Make sure you train your employees in recycling certain materials and objects, so that everything is removed correctly. Setting up a program with local recycling centers helps to ensure that your efforts are successful.
Offering incentives: it can be difficult to implement major lifestyle changes without motivation. Consider offering incentives for employees who adapt to your environmentally conscious initiatives in the workplace, such as donating water bottles to motorcyclists and walkers. You can increase the pleasure by creating sustainability challenges that employees have to complete, so that they have a goal to work with rewards for environmentally conscious.