Top Tips for a Greener Workplace
- Mur - Lee Murphy
Small changes can make a big difference to how ‘green’ your workplace is. These top tips can show you how.
Small changes can make a big difference to the environmental impact of your workplace, but going ‘green’ doesn’t just benefit the planet. An organisation which is serious about sustainability could improve its reputation with customers and save as much as 20% on its energy bills. [1]
To start a green campaign in your workplace, establish the environmental measures that are already taking place and take a note of your organisation’s energy bills. Then, follow the tips below to identify where more could be done. You should see a noticeable drop in cost as you implement them.
For each of the tips, it is a good idea to communicate your actions as much as possible. If you act alone your efforts are likely to have little impact, but by encouraging a culture where sustainability is key you can ensure a lasting change in the way your organisation operates.
1. Reduce your energy consumption
Despite advances in the renewable energy sector, most of the UK’s energy is still supplied by oil and gas. [2] These fossil fuels are burned to create electricity, but release greenhouse gases which are gradually increasing the temperature of the planet. Reducing your energy consumption can slow the rate of greenhouse gas production while at the same time lowering your energy costs.
According to the Carbon Trust, most organisations could cut up to 10% from their energy bills by making simple changes around the workplace. Longer lasting initiatives, which require some investment, can cut energy bills by as much as 20% in the long term. This can have a positive impact on your company's bottom line. [3]
Speak to your building manager or facilities staff to help you identify where the following changes could be made.
Turn off the lights
Lighting is one of the main sources of energy waste across the UK’s public and business sectors, costing up to £1 billion a year more than necessary. [4] Yet it is also one of the easiest areas to quickly reduce your energy consumption.
Switch off the lights when a room is not in use and make sure that all the lights in your office are turned off before you go home at night. You can also make the most of natural light by opening blinds and by decorating walls with light reflective colours.
In the longer term, replace old fluorescent light bulbs with energy efficient alternatives and consider installing light sensors which only activate when a room is occupied. According to the Institute of Directors, such a system could pay for itself within six months. [5]
Switch off equipment that’s not in use
Desktop PCs are another main source of energy waste because they are often left on during lunch hours, in the evenings and at weekends. In fact, a 2011 white paper published by Microsoft found that as much as 75% of the electricity desktop PCs consume is wasted. [6]
You can cut down on this waste by encouraging staff to switch off their PC when not in use and by installing power management software to reduce the energy they need when idle. Photocopiers and TV screens should also be turned off when the office is empty, and even vending machines can be unplugged if it will not damage the goods they dispense. Plug-in timers can be installed to ensure this happens automatically, but make sure that they have an override switch for anyone working out of hours.
Control the temperature
Heating systems and air conditioning are essential in larger office buildings, but likely account for a large portion of your energy bill. Speak to your facilities staff or building manager about how these systems are used and try to identify areas where waste could be reduced.
For example, if heating and air conditioning systems are operating at the same time they will waste energy by competing with each other. [7] Similarly, energy may be wasted if the air conditioning is operating while a window is open. Consider turning off these systems and make the most of natural alternatives. In summer, open a window to lower the temperature. In winter, keep the blinds open to let the sun heat your office as much as possible.
Longer term, ensure that your building has adequate insulation and draught proofing to reduce the amount of heat you lose through the walls or roof. You may need to speak to your landlord or letting agency about this. Keeping heaters and radiators free from obstructions will also ensure they work at optimum efficiency.
Another way to reduce consumption is to turn down the thermostat on your boiler, as a one degree drop in temperature could save your organisation 8% on its energy bills. [8] It is important to remember, however, that people need to be comfortable at work and may even make more mistakes if the temperature is not optimum. [9] You should seek agreement from your co-tenants before making any changes and then approach your factor or facilities manager.
Maintain your equipment
To ensure that existing office equipment is as efficient as possible, make certain that it is maintained to the manufacturer’s guidelines. This could involve replacing filters in air conditioning systems or bleeding radiators. [10] You should also run regular virus checks on your IT equipment to ensure that it makes the most of available energy.
It is also worth reviewing whether equipment may need to be replaced. New technologies have made many devices more energy efficient than ever, and the joint EU-US ‘Energy Star’ programme labels can give an indication of this. [11]
It is important, however, to remember that efficiency is not always the best indicator of how environmentally friendly a piece of equipment is. For example, an efficient desktop PC with a large monitor and fast processor might need more energy than a less efficient device with lower specifications. You should consider the equipment needs of your team members on an individual basis and try to strike a balance. [12]
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Lifts require a lot of power, particularly if they are used by every member of your team when they arrive in the morning, go out for lunch, return from lunch, and then leave in the evening. The stairs are a much more environmentally friendly option, which will also save your organisation on its energy bills and give your team some great exercise at the same time.
Don’t forget the little things
It may sound trivial, but if you regularly fill and boil the kettle to make one or two cups of tea, then the electricity wasted can soon add up. According to the Energy Saving Trust, if everyone in the UK boiled just enough water to make a cup of tea and no more, the energy saved in a year could power half the street lights in the country for two months. [13]
Another frequent source of energy waste in the workplace is chargers for portable devices like laptops and mobile phones. Depending on the model, these can continue to draw power even after they are fully charged which is why they often feel hot to the touch. Unplug them where possible to save energy, cut down on bills and extend the lifetime of your batteries. [14]
2. Cut down on travel
In 2014 transport accounted for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions, which includes business travel - much of which takes place unnecessarily. [15]
Teleconferencing and video conferencing are an effective way to cut down on travel to see clients and suppliers. If 20% of business travel in the EU was replaced by these solutions, 22.35 million tones of CO2 could be saved each year. [16] In addition, services like Skype, WebEx and Adobe Connect have made this option easier and cheaper than ever.
These tools can also be used to facilitate home working. This doesn’t just cut down on travel; but is also great for work-life balance. Where an individual’s role allows for it, encourage working from home and support them as much as possible.
Your organisation can further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging staff to car share. This reduces the number of cars on the road and is easy to facilitate if you set up a car sharing database.
Where employees drive company cars, encourage them to choose one with the lowest CO2 emissions for its class. Direct.gov’s car fuel data tools can help with this. It is also advisable to make a habit of fuel efficient driving, as fast acceleration and harsh braking use considerably more fuel than driving at a relatively constant speed. The Energy Saving Trust offers further advice on this.
A healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to driving would be to encourage cycling. The Cycle to Work scheme lets employees sacrifice a small part of their salary to pay for a new bike, minus VAT. Since it launched in 1999, over 400,000 people have taken part and reduced carbon emissions by over 133,000 tonnes a year – more than is produced by a city the size of Hereford. [17] Once you’ve signed up to the scheme, install cycle racks so that staff can keep their bikes secure throughout the day.
3. Reduce, reuse and recycle
A lot of everyday items in your workplace, like paper, plastic cups and envelopes, are not very good for the environment because their production requires energy and natural resources. In addition, plastic-based products are not biodegradable, and even recycling requires energy.
To make your office as green as it can be, cut down on unnecessary waste where possible and recycle when you can. Throwing anything in the bin should be the last option.
Think before you print
Printing is often a waste of paper and electricity, so try to work from your computer where possible. Rather than using paper documents, store everything you need on a hard drive. Alternatively, upload your documents to your organisation’s intranet, shared drive or online service like Google Drive or Office 365. As well as being better for the environment, this helps you stay organised, reduces your chance of losing important files and gives you access to them from anywhere in the world.
When you do need to print, use recycled paper which is marked with the (FSC) Forestry Stewardship Council logo – this means it is either recycled or comes from a sustainable source. [18] You can also print on both sides of the page, but may need to provide training to ensure that staff are able to do this.
In addition, make sure you recycle used paper, as well as print cartridges, glass, cans and cardboard. Placing recycling bins in prominent positions around the office will help your team remember to do this.
Cut down on plastic cups
Plastic or foam cups are a major concern for the environment because they are not biodegradable. It takes 50 years for a foam cup to decompose, and 450 years for a plastic bottle. [19] It also takes a lot of energy to produce these items.
You can down on this waste in your office by encouraging your team to use mugs, glasses or biodegradable paper cups for their water and other drinks.
Reuse envelopes and packaging
Try reusing items like large jiffy bags and envelopes as all you have to do is cover up the old label. This will also save your organisation money, as stationery items like these can be expensive.
4. Raise awareness
The most important step you can take to create a greener workplace is to raise awareness. Alone, your actions will have little impact. But by encouraging a culture which embraces environmental awareness you can increase your organisation’s sustainability while securing more tangible benefits like a reduction in costs.
Why not put together some ‘green guidelines’ and publish them in your newsletter or on your intranet and external website? You could also make them a feature of the employee induction process. Set targets, celebrate when you reach them, and encourage staff to make further suggestions for a greener workplace. This will help employees really feel that they are making a difference.
[1] Carbon Trust, ‘Implementation & Finance’ at http://www.carbontrust.com/client-services/technology/implementation (accessed 30 May 2013).
[2] Department of Energy and Climate Change, 'Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2012' at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65881/5949-dukes-2012-exc-cover.pdf p 5 (26 July 2012).
[3] Carbon Trust, ‘Better Business Guide to Energy Saving’ at http://www.carbontrust.com/media/31675/ctv034_better_business_guide_to_energy_saving.pdf (March 2012) p 2.
[4] David Bonner, Institute of Directors, ‘Energy Efficiency’ at http://www.iod.com/Mainwebsite/Resources/Document/policy_publication_Energy_Efficiency_paper.pdf (July 2008).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Mark Aggar, Microsoft Corporation, ‘The IT Energy Efficiency Imperative’ at https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/markaggar/2011/06/08/the-it-energy-efficiency-imperative/ (June 2011).
[7] David Bonner, Institute of Directors, ‘Energy Efficiency’ at http://www.iod.com/Mainwebsite/Resources/Document/policy_publication_Energy_Efficiency_paper.pdf (July 2008).
[8] Vizual, 'The role of HR in managing workforce CO2 emissions' (accessed 6 May 2013).
[9] Alan Hedge, Wafa Sakr & Anshu Agarwal, ‘Thermal Effects on Office Productivity', Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, Vol 49, No 8 (September 2005) pp823-827.
[10] Energy.Gov, 'Tips: Heating and Cooling' at http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-heating-and-cooling (30 May 2012).
[11] Carbon Trust, 'Office equipment: Introducing energy saving opportunities for business' at http://www.carbontrust.com/media/13113/ctv005_office_equipment.pdf (accessed 6 May 2013).
[12] Ibid.
[13] Energy Saving Trust, 'Saving Water'. Available at http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/saving-water (accessed 11 February 2019).
[14] Fred Atwell, ‘Brits waste £134m a year overcharging their gadgets’, Metro at http://metro.co.uk/2012/01/02/brits-waste-134m-a-year-overcharging-their-gadgets-e-on-study-270899/ (2 January 2012).
[15] Department of Energy and Climate Change, '2014 UK Greenaouse Gas Emissions. Availaable at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/496942/2014_Final_Emissions_Statistics_Release.pdf (accessed 11 February 2019).
[16] Vizual, 'The role of HR in managing workforce CO2 emissions' (accessed 6 May 2013).
[17] Cycle to Work Alliance, 'Behavioural Impact Analysis' (February 2011).
[18] 'Recycling facts and figures', Recycling Guide at http://recycling-guide.org.uk/facts.html (accessed 6 May 2013).
[19] New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 'Time it takes for garbage to decompose in the environment' at http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/coastal/trash/documents/marine_debris.pdf (accessed 6 May 2013).