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Seven
steps to green your office
STEP ONE: USE
RECYCLED OFFICE PAPERS.
Each year we use 750,000 tonnes of
short life office papers in the UK. Of these 75% are imported and
90% are thrown away as if they were waste. By purchasing recycled
papers we can reduce land filling, cut imports and save energy. It
takes half the energy to produce papers through recycling rather
than pulping trees.
WHAT TO DO:
Make sure your office buys these
readily available recycled papers; Laser Copier, computer listing,
envelopes, notepads, letterheads, files and folders.
STEP TWO:
COLLECT & RECYCLE YOUR OFFICE PAPERS.
It costs £30 a tonne and rising to
dispose of 'waste paper' yet it can be worth far more if it is
sorted and recycled. In the UK we dispose of around 20 million
tonnes of refuse each year, 90% of this ends up in landfill sites,
Switzerland dumps only 20% in this way. Offices are potentially a
major source of high quality sorted waste papers.
WHAT TO DO:
Provide recycling bins beside desks
and printers/copiers. Make sure you have separate bins for white
papers and coloured mixed papers. Only by offering sorted white
waste does it become viable for recyclers to collect your low value
mixed waste. Contact the national recycling network to arrange for a
collector in your area.
STEP THREE:
AVOID DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS.
Many office products are sold as
inexpensive commodities because they have short lives and are
disposable. In reality we all pay the costs of disposal in
pollution, waste and rapidly dwindling resources. Many offices buy
items on price when buying better quality durable and re-usable
products can reduce your purchasing costs.
WHAT TO DO:
Recycle your laser and inkjet
cartridges. Use refillable pens and long life markers. Buy long life
light bulbs and heavy duty files. Use non disposable cups or arrange
collection of your vending cups from Sava-Cup. Make sure disposable
products can be recycled if there is no alternative to using
them.
STEP FOUR:
AVOID UNNECESSARY CHEMICALS
Many products contain polluting
chemicals that cause damage to the ecosystem in their production or
disposal. Solvents in office products and furniture can cause
irritations to your staff and help produce a sick building syndrome.
Often there are alternatives to the most dangerous chemicals that
work just as well. There is no need to take risks with your health
and environment when you don't have to.
WHAT TO DO:
Use polypropylene plastics in
preference to PVC. Buy vegetable based glues, Toluene and xylene
free markers, Ttrichloroethane free correctors and bio-degradable
cleaning products. Make sure furniture has low levels of
formaldahide or neutralise it with absorbing plants.
STEP FIVE:
REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Energy is not only expensive to use it
also has considerable environmental costs. The burning of fossil
fuels is having unpredictable effects on our atmosphere and climate.
Six of the seven warmest years on record have occurred in the last
15 years. Using less energy makes economic sense, It costs three
times more to generate a watt of power than to save it. Business can
also expect to pay higher and higher taxes on energy use.
WHAT TO DO:
Set office temperatures at under 20'c,
install energy efficient boilers and controls. Appoint a member of
staff to turn off lights and computers. Use low energy light bulbs,
sava plugs and insulate roof spaces and doors.
STEP SIX:
IMPROVE EMPLOYEES ENVIRONMENT
Millions of pounds a year are spent on
health care for employees and millions more are lost by employees
absences due to poor office environments. This can be reduced by
creating an environment that prevents health problems
occurring.
WHAT TO DO:
Control humidity and iron levels.
Create no smoking areas, use plants to filter the air and site
photocopiers near vents. Buy full spectrum light tubes to alleviate
S.A.D. and fit anti-radiation screens to VDU's.
STEP SEVEN:
MAKE TRAVELLING SUSTAINABLE
Today our roads are saturated with
traffic and more and more people are suffering from bronchial
complaints due in the main to car exhaust. We need to use cheaper
cleaner and more reliable transport options at work and avoid the
single occupancy car journey wherever possible.
WHAT TO DO:
Operate an office car sharing scheme.
Offer financial incentives for staff to use public transport. Give
interest free loans for employees to buy bicycles and provide
changing facilities. Demand electric and alternative fuel vehicles
from fleet suppliers.
FIVE REASONS TO USE GREEN OFFICE
PRODUCTS
ONE: Purchasing green office supplies
helps reduce the impact of your business on the environment. Green
purchasing reduces overall resource consumption and waste
pollutants.
TWO: Green office products are
economical. Many standard stationery items are commodities sold
purely on price, they are often disposable and have short lives.
Green products tend to have long lives and are re-usable, thereby
offering good cost savings to businesses. Some green items like
laser cartridges also offer direct price advantages because they use
recycled components.
THREE: Using green products creates a
positive staff culture from a sense that employers are caring and
have long term goals. Very often the introduction of recycled papers
into an office has the effect of reducing the amount of paper
consumed as staff’s takes greater care to save paper. This caring
attitude is also communicated to customers and can have a positive
impact on gaining new business.
FOUR: Environmental issues are
increasingly perceived as central to total quality management. The
insurance industry is very concerned about claims being made due to
environmental damage and may require higher premiums from companies
that do not have environment policies. 20 percent of the New York
Stock Market is now regarded as green or ethical. This has come
about because the institutional investors recognise that they get
higher returns from companies that have environmental policies.
Keeping an eye on the potential disasters that could hit a companies
profits in the long term is sound management.
FIVE: The Green supplies industry is
currently very embryonic and purchasing from green companies helps
to support these new industries. Without the support of committed
customers these new industries can not create the markets that will
allow the development of alternative products and services. This
support includes purchasing non green items (where a green
alternative product does not exist) from suppliers who have an
advanced environmental policy.
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