5 Simple Ways to Make Your Office More Green

Going green is the best thing you can do for your company, and more importantly for your employees. A recent study found that offices focused on going green have a 26% increase in cognition from their employees, 30% fewer sicknesses and absences, and a 6% increase in sleep quality from employees. Making the office green doesn't have to be a big ordeal. There are five simple ways that you can do.

#1: Turn things off

A lot of companies are making the switch toward turning off the lights as soon as the work day is over. This is a wonderful start for keeping your office green but there are ample devices throughout a modern office that are left on unnecessarily. You can make it part of the regular, leave-for-the-day-routine to ask employees to turn off printers especially industrial-sized printers, computers, other gadgets are devices that use energy when left on. The last person to leave can turn off the lights or, you can set up your lights with a timer so that they automatically go off at a specific time and automatically go on at a specific time with the option to be motion detected in the interim just in case somebody stays late or arrives early. And of course equally important is using energy-efficient light-bulbs for all of your lighting purposes.

 Why does this matter?

 7% of the electricity consumed in the United States is because of lighting. Energy efficient lighting can reduce costs and increase longevity for individual light bulbs. similarly, using energy efficient light bulbs actually produces less heat from each light. Reducing the amount of heat put out on a regular basis makes it easier to control the temperatures inside your office which reduces how hard your HVAC system has to work especially during the hotter months.

#2: Make recycling important

Just because you have blue recycling bins in the office doesn't mean that you have an actual recycling program. Not every state requires companies or individuals to recycle and some states like Colorado don't even have recycling services that pick up regularly like trash. So it's up to your company to create a team goal of recycling when possible, having multiple bins for separating glass from paper, and plastic.

When you recycle at the company you give yourself ample opportunity to capitalize upon incentive programs offered by government agencies in exchange for implementing official recycling programs and tracking the progress. You can also save your company money when you invest in recycling old products that are being replaced. If you are buying a new piece of technology like new computers or printers, even things like batteries or ink cartridges you can recycle in exchange for a small payment. That payment can be put toward the cost of a new purchase.

#3: Use eco-friendly products

Start using clean products, non-toxic methods for cleaning up everything whether it's dishes in the kitchen, offices, the floors, or anything else, you can improve the air quality and decrease the number of toxins that your employees are breathing in when you switch to non hazardous products.

Non-toxic counterparts are just as effective as cleaning agents but they bring with them the reduced damage to the environment and the reduced risk to long-term health. Bleach, for example, is used in a variety of cleaning products in offices but it's not only harmful to the skin, difficult to breathe in, but if accidentally mixed with ammonia which is commonly found in toilet bowl cleaners, it releases a poisonous mixture. Your office can start using non-toxic solutions like hydrogen peroxide components and specifically, chlorine free products. Ammonia is highly irritating not only to the eyes but to the respiratory system and of course leaves that harsh sent behind. Your office can avoid any unanticipated health problems resulting from hazardous fumes by using non-toxic cleaners that are free from petroleum, phosphate, solvents, or VOC.

#4: Stop Printing

We send so many emails, read so many reports, and in the modern workplace everything is printed and everything gets copies, and everyone gets physical copies. But this uses a great deal of paper and can be very beneficial for your company to reduce the amount of printing done and to rely instead upon something like an online document sharing system.

Going paperless as a company means being able to opt for online statements rather than paper invoices, bills, or company bank statements. It also alleviates the need for large filing cabinets or even a filing room and concurrently gets rid of the disorganization that naturally comes from paper files.

#5: Use an All-in-One Drink System in the Breakroom

It's likely that your kitchen is overflowing with things like Keurig coffee machines, regular coffee pots, vending machines, all of which are full of Styrofoam cups, single serve coffee pods, plastic cups, and plastic cutlery. Find affordable dishes and switch two things that can be washed and reused rather than disposable items that simply can't be recycled.

There is no one-size-fits-all option which is why it's important to choose systems that have dozens of beverage options, with variance for limited sugar, no sugar, and low calories. Equally important is to have drink options like tea or solutions that provide energy in a natural way free from preservatives and reliant only upon natural ingredients. A great example is the Lavit cooler system, which gives employees access to more than 30+ drinks that are never artificial- and always beneficial for you. No doubt your typical break room right now has features like canned soda, chemical filled energy drinks, and juice masquerading as healthy but underneath it all being artificial and full of sugar. If you want to take control of your offices hydration needs connect with Lavit to get the Lavit system installed today, and feel the difference for yourself.

Having healthy alternatives not only improves productivity for your staff by avoiding that ebb and flow of blood sugar throughout the day brought about by unhealthy drinks but it shows your employees and your customers that you truly care about what impact your company choices are having on the environment.

 References:

• Allen, J. G., MacNaughton, P., Satish, U., Santanam, S., Vallarino, J., & Spengler, J. D. (2015). Associations of cognitive function scores with carbon dioxide, ventilation, and volatile organic compound exposures in office workers: a controlled exposure study of green and conventional office environments. Environmental health perspectives, 124(6), 805-812.

• Hoffman, M. (2019). Best Non-Toxic Ways to Clean Your Home. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/best-nontoxic-ways-to-clean-home#1

• Importance of Energy Efficient Lighting for On-Site Work | AltEnergyMag. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2018/10/importance-of-energy-efficient-lighting-for-on-site-work/29595/

• Kappel, M. (2019). 6 Reasons Why Going Paperless Benefits Your Business. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikekappel/2018/07/11/6-reasons-why-going-paperless-benefits-your-business/#2234748245ec

• MacNaughton, P., Satish, U., Laurent, J. G. C., Flanigan, S., Vallarino, J., Coull, B., ... & Allen, J. G. (2017). The impact of working in a green certified building on cognitive function and health. Building and Environment, 114, 178-186.