Zero Waste In The Work Place
It can be very difficult to reduce your environmental impact in the office.
Workplaces are typically highly regimented environment and it can seem impossible to reduce waste. However, there are things that every employee can start doing within the workplace and things that can be supported by staff and bosses alike to help reduce waste at the office.
Increase the Lifespan of Office Supplies
Work on increasing the lifespan of all office supplies. There is no reason to toss out a dried out pen prematurely. Things like pens, markers, and highlighters will dry out faster if they aren't being used regularly so, encourage employees to switch up the pens they use on a regular basis rather than sticking to that one favorite. Have a quick poster printed, and set up in the break room that talks about how to keep pen tips clean. Ink will naturally coagulate along the tips of pens and eventually they don't write as well— which typically results in employees throwing them out. In reality the pen tips could be wiped down after each use and then stored upward so that the tip faces the ceiling and clogging is circumvented. Pens, glue sticks, and marker should be kept inside of a closet or a desk drawer. Heat and direct sunlight causes them to dry up.
Focus on “pre-recycled” Supplies
Similarly your office can start to pre-recycle by simply choosing items for office supplies that are easy to reuse or easy to recycle. Before buying staples consider how paper clips can be reused much more easily. Instead of buying bubble wrap to ship items, save crumpled-up newspapers. Use reusable tape dispensers made of metal instead of plastic, reuse media boxes and folders for as long as possible. Your company can even invest in refillable fountain pens. This might be an expensive upfront switch, from the Disposable ballpoint pens, but it's a wonderful way to reduce plastic waste and more often than not employees will prefer the fountain pen. This can also make for a wonderful company Christmas gift to get things started.
Reduce Energy Footprint
Vampire waste Is a huge source of energy consumption in offices. Office necessities like computers and printers and other devices, take up a great deal of energy which expands the office energy footprint. It might not be possible to reduce the devices that are used but what you can do is reduce the settings on things like company computers to optimize battery usage, such a hibernating after just a minute of inactivity. Talk to the IT department about making these adjustments company-wide or installing things like power strips for each cubicle and office so that individuals can simply turn off the power switch when they leave rather than turning off multiple devices each day.
Reduce Packing Waste
When/If your office ships things, keep boxes packed as densely as possible so that cardboard waste can be avoided. Reuse any boxes your office receives. Have a specific area where those boxes get stored so that next time you have to send something you can pick out from one of the boxes you've already received. If you can't reuse boxes, consider creating a company compost pile. Many local farmers will accept compost materials so even if you don't have a space in your office where you can create a compost pile you can probably partner with someone locally.
Invest in Reusable Items
When you have office parties, staff get-togethers, birthday celebrations, and more, there are ample opportunities to use one time use products that end up throwing away at the end of the event. But consider investing in a set of office dishware, water bottles, office mugs, even shopping bags that are specific for any office event. It takes far less to how's reusable dishware that is brought out for every office party than it does to invest in disposable plates, silverware, cups, and shopping bags every time something happens in the workplace.
Encourage Employees to Pack Lunches
Reusable containers are key here. It is beneficial to encourage employees to bring their lunches or snacks in reusable container specifically. By using such containers employees reduce packaging waste and they save themselves money. A recent survey shows that the average American spends $37 each week on lunches they buy while at work which adds up to over $2,000 every year. To that end, your company can encourage reduced waste by offering an incentive program for those who bring lunches in reusable containers and that could be something as simple as a point accumulation each day that a container is brought to the office with the highest points receiving awards at the annual Christmas party.
Offer Drinks On Site
Coffee is just as startling with 50% of the workplace spending over $1,000 every year on coffee leaving the office to go purchase copy from a third-party. Not only are people spending a great deal of money on this coffee, but one time use disposable coffee containers are incredibly harmful for the environment. The lids offered by most coffee places are made from a plastic mixture of material that can't be recycled which means they end up in landfills. That's even assuming every single employee is diligent enough to put they're used take out coffee containers in the recycling in the first place which most are not. You can bypass expensive Cafe drinks and the waste that comes with them by offering a comprehensive drink system on site. Something more than just a coffee pot, you can offer the same level of variety that employees would find at a cafe so that they are less inclined to visit.
The Lavit Drink system is one such solution. It has over 25+ beverage options, including coffees, teas, and a variety of other drinks for every occasion. And to encourage such action your office could do the same type of system or perhaps disseminate office gifts in the form of reusable mugs so that the difficult to recycle coffee cup waste is no longer an issue.
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