With the world waking up to the realities of one use plastics, people are slowly realising how long things can take to decompose. Planet Earth 2 has spurred a world wide call to action to address the UK's attitude to waste. Has your company moved with the tides and started your eco journey or are you waiting in the wings?
Here are ten super simple ways to improve your eco impact:
1. Supply cupboard,
It might seem like a funny place to start but UK employees throw out hundreds of pens per day, thousands of pieces of paper and post it notes. A simple way to solve this is to go paper free, here at Cupaz we only use paper documents for our floor plans and drafts, this ellimates paper waste and also needs for pens. If this isn't a possibility for your company, invest in some recycled paper and consider buying reusable pens, they are cheaper in the long run and they can have your logo on them!
2. Manage waste effectively, if you company doesnt already have a recycling bin, there is no better time to start than now! Here at Cupaz we recycle paper, plastic and cardboard, create an insentive for recycling. Paper football has been a fun lunchtime sport at Cupaz, maybe ask employees to take their food scraps home to their compost heaps, or if, like us, you aren't based in London, maybe introduce a company compost heap for food waste!
3. Cut back on excessive consumption,
You may think that getting a coffee machine will save you all money, but unless you recycle the pods they can too end up on a landfil site. Encourage employees who pop out for their coffees to purchase a Keep Cup. Or even better, provide them for your staff! At Cupaz we always encourage our drivers on the road to use a Keep Cup - and they save you money in most coffee shops! Make sure you have a set of plates and cultery in your offices, it may seem like a small thing but stopping people from using single use cultery and crockey is so important.
4. Public transport and sharing lifts,
Most people who work in London will already be well adjusted to public transport, by simply swapping from a car to a train or bus you are reducing your immisions! Many times driving is a necessity, here at Cupaz we encourage sharing lifts, many people live locally and cycle when possible and share lifts.
5. Power down,
Do you use a microwave at work? Did you know that these little guys consume most of their electricity when they're simply sitting in the kitchen doing nothing? A study found that the typical microwave is only used about 70 hours a year. During the other 99% of the time, or 8,690 hours, it burns as much as 35 kilowatt hours in "vampire power" to illuminate the clock and keep electronic push button controls in standby mode. Whenever it is not in use, make sure to turn your microwave off at the switch (and leave a note to fellow colleagues to do the same!) In the same fashion, switch off computers, lights, printers etc. at the end of the working day to conserve power. Your boss will love the reduction in electricity costs!
6. BYO - Packed Lunch,
Not only will this save you a considerable amount of money, but packing your lunch will also help to get you eating healthier. Here at Cupaz, our offices are not within walking distance of shops, so to save carbon immisions, all the staff at our offices bring our own packed lunches in reusable containers. We have cutlery and plates here so there is no need for plastic waste.
7. Natural light,
Artificial lighting represents 40 percent of electricity consumption in a typical office building, and so often this is unnecessary. Open the blinds and let daylight in wherever possible. And of course, don't leave the lights on at night when everybody is gone. Here at Cupaz we actually have subtle sky lights intergrated into our ceiling, this means that during the long summer months we have no need for the lights in our offices. Saving money and the environment at the same time.
8. Toilet talk,
A simple change such as changing to a cloth in your bathrooms over paper towels could make a massive difference to your companies enviromental impact. Studiesshow that the new Dyson cold hand dryer is the most environmentally friendly way to dry hands. Here at Cupazwe have always tried to work as eco friendly as possible, we have had the Dyson hand dryers for years and they have our seal of approval. Another simple change is to swap to a tap which automatically turns off, with a sensor for hand washing they can save gallons of water!
9. Create a team or taskforce,
Give some willing company members the responsibility of looking after the sustainability of the company, a sustainability team can help to create more awareness and accomplish other missions in the quest to developing a green office. Monthly team competitions can be an enjoyable way of combining teamwork with creating an environmentally friendly office. For instance, you can challenge the workforce to go one month without driving to work, with the person who lasts the longest receiving a day off or a similar work based incentive.
10. Go Green — Literally,
Make your office literally green with plants! They absorb airborne pollutants, and emit healthy negative ions and oxygen into the air. Having some green plants in the office also reduces that "sterile" look, making it more comfortable for everybody. And improves overal happiness in staff.
Lucy Cooper - Marketing Manager
