Now, more than ever, businesses need to be aware of their environmental impact and identify ways in which they can make improvements. Environmental damage has been an enormous topic in the news lately with reports showing that a drastic change is needed in order to slow down damage done to the environment.
Average Impact of UK Offices
While it is true that certain industries are worse than others, you will find that the average office still could be doing a lot better in terms of being economically friendly. Factors such as pollution, energy usage, waste and the use of non-recyclable materials are all contributing factors which should be addressed. According to the Carbon Trust, a staggering 18% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from non-domestic and commercial buildings and they use 300TWh of energy per year.
Making Changes
The average office will always have energy usage that is higher than an average household, but it is dangerous thinking to believe that the issue to too big to tackle or that making small changes is not worth doing. It is quite the opposite as if every business (and home) made just a few small changes it could have a gigantic impact and slow down environmental damage. So, what are a few changes that an office could make to reduce their environmental impact?
Increase Recycling
Waste is a major issue in most industries. Office recycling services available from places like First Mile can help a business to drastically cut down on their waste and increase recycling with ease.
Go Paperless
Going paperless is an important and relatively straightforward process to adopt and paper has a big impact on the environment. In today’s day and age, people are used to working digitally so this should not be too much of an issue and easy to implement.
Smart Electronics Usage
Practically every industry will rely heavily on electronics throughout the course of the day, but you can be intelligent with your usage to reduce environmental damage. This includes shutting down devices at the end of the day, only turning them on when you plan to use them and using energy efficient modes. When everyone does this it can have a big impact on your carbon footprint.
Green Commute
It is also worth encouraging staff to opt for a green commuting method instead of driving. Walking or cycling to work schemes can work well or a carpool if driving is necessary. It is also a good idea to allow remote working periodically as this reduces impact from the commute as well as reduces energy usage.
The average UK office uses a huge amount of energy and it is important for all businesses to be aware of this. Fortunately, there are many small changes that can be made to reduce this damage and when everyone pulls together it could have a huge impact.
