Encouraging environmental consciousness in your workplace is a huge step in making the world a better place. Here’s how you can be an instrument in greening your office.
Go Zero Waste (Or At Least Make Less Waste)
Reducing waste can be tricky. Food items in the market are often packaged in plastic or paper products to be thrown away before consuming its contents. People perceive this packaging as some kind of assurance that no one has touched what’s inside, but in reality, it actually just makes for extra waste.
There are a lot of more practical ways to store food products like bringing your own jars, reusable plastic containers, and bags on your next grocery trip. In the workplace, bringing packed food is ideal, too. For a bigger effect, for your next team lunch in, suggest that everyone bring their own reusable containers or mason jars to eliminate the use of disposable plates and cups.
Using natural, eco-friendly cleaning products that are kind to you and the surroundings is also important in maintaining a waste-free workplace. If you notice that your office still uses chemical-based cleaning products, it won’t hurt to propose a change. Natural cleaning products not only make your workplace spic and span, but it also helps keep the outdoors safe and sustainable for everyone else, experts at Green Maids Cleaning always remind their customers.
Promote Sustainability
You’re scrolling through your social media during your morning commute and you come across a video of a diver pulling a long plastic item from a turtle’s nostril. Into the video, the poor turtle’s nose starts to bleed just as the diver successfully dislodges what turns out to be a plastic straw. It’s not a pretty sight but it will make you stop and reevaluate how many straws you use – it may even make you decide never to use one again.
Gradually, it will change your drinking habits and you start getting used to the straw-less life. Take the environmental consciousness a step further and get others at work involved in your efforts. This could make not only a significant impact within the office setting but could also have a ripple effect on the society beyond your work walls.
Sustainable items, like reusable dishes and cutlery, are a good way to promote the reduction of plastic use in the workplace. It’s ideal to use utensils, straws, and to-go cups made of wood, glass, or stainless steel instead of single-use ones. Plus, when ordering food for office delivery or takeout, do make sure to tell the service personnel not to include plastic straws and utensils in the bag.
Conserve Energy
By reducing the use of energy, power plants release fewer toxic fumes that harm the ecosystem. You can practice these habits in your workplace by doing the following every day:
- Turn off the lights when they are not in use, and at night when everyone else is headed home. Another alternative to the usual light fixtures is motion-sensitive lights that turn off when no one is around.
- Use energy-saving, fluorescent light bulbs. You may also take advantage of natural sunlight to illuminate the office.
- Turn off and unplug computers, copiers, printers, and other devices when they are not in use and when you leave the office.
Practicing these habits helps in the reduction of fossil fuels that power plants burn to produce energy every day. Additionally, the use of fewer fossil fuels could also result in fewer oil spills. Oil spills, which occur during the transport of fossil fuels, can be harmful to animals, plants, and their habitats on both land and water.
Promoting environmental consciousness in your workplace starts with yourself. When you care enough to make a change, your influence on other people will make a positive impact on making the world a greener place – starting in your workplace.