waste less. live more
We inspire and help people to waste less and live more sustainably.
At work
It’s just as important to be environmentally friendly at work as it is at home. But many people leave their green behaviours at home.
In our experience efforts to green the workplace are more successful when:
- one individual or a small team takes responsibility for driving the process
- the changes put in place are practical and achievable
- efforts are made to get staff on board and changes are clearly communicated.
Here are three simple steps you can take.
Set up a recycling system
- Find a collection service for your recycling, whether this is your local authority, a commercial company or a not-for-profit community business. Some organisations will charge for their services but this needs to be considered against savings from a reduction in general waste.
- Designated recycling bins within the workplace should be in a convenient spot and clearly labelled. Reducing the number of general bins and centralising them next to recycling bins means it becomes as easy to recycle as it is to throw away.
- Try to reduce the amount of waste you produce in the first place. Collect paper that has been printed on one side only and designate a printer for draft printing. Envelopes can also be easily reused.
Reduce energy use
- Encourage staff to turn lights off in unused rooms and turn their computers and monitors off when not in use. ‘Switch it off’ stickers and posters can help remind people, as well as a gentle nudge when they forget!
- Use timers on printers to turn them off at the end of day and over the weekend.
Buy green and use less stuff
- Do you really need to buy new equipment? Buy second-hand IT equipment and furniture instead.
- Buy recycled stationery such as paper and envelopes. The cost of recycled paper has fallen in recent years and the quality is excellent. An alternative is Forest Stewardship Council approved paper.
- Buy remanufactured laser toner and inkjet cartridges or refill your own.
- Issue staff with clear instructions about how to set the default printing mode to double sided, two pages on each sheet and economy mode to save paper and toner.
These are just some examples of the actions you can take at work.
More advice is available from Energy Saving Trust, Act on CO2, Business Link, and Direct Gov.
