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Sustainability‐related issues have been discussed for many years and this term has received increased attention in research since the mid‐1990s. For this reason, it is important to spread the “green philosophy” as much as we can. This means, for example, reducing consumption at home – but we can do more than that.
In fact, we could implement some environmental attitudes also to our workplace. Actually, if you start reducing company’s waste, you will also cut your expenses. So, let’s illustrate some tips for a more environment friendly workplace.
Tips to Reduce Paper Consumption
Paper is one of the most abused material in offices. If you want to reduce the amount of thrown paper, you should start using it on both sides whenever it is possible. First of all, make sure that your document has no mistakes before printing it in order to avoid useless waste of paper. Then, you can print rough drafts and informal documents on the back of a scrap paper. Again, another interesting solution can be the reduction, or better, elimination of paper consumption, unnecessary copies, notes, and memos.
When working it may also happen to take notes or telephone numbers quickly on the first piece of paper you can grab. Just think at the amount of Post-it notes we tend to throw – thus producing even more waste. A very good alternative might be employing dumped paper. In this way, you will cut out office expenses for notebooks and Post-it notes while also encouraging people to recycle.
How to Bring Down Plastic Waste
Plastic is another material which is really used in workplaces – just think to vending dispensers. A good advice to bring down plastic waste could be opting for reusable bottles or mugs for your beverages. Moreover, you could pack your lunch in reusable containers and bags. These measures may have a great impact on the environment as only 6,6% of plastic bottles on the worldwide market are made by recycled plastic.
Saving Energy for a Environment Friendly Office
Saving energy for a environment friendly workplace it is possible, too! For example, you should remember to turn off lights and devices when nobody is there. Moreover, pay attention to switch off the additional equipment such as printers and scanners. A simple memo sticked up into the office may help to get this aim! The number of windows should allow to get the right amount of light while avoiding heat dispersion. For what concerns air conditioning, the cooling of the rooms depends a lot on the place where the company is located. For instance, if it is surrounded by trees, it will receive less directly sunlight.
