How To Create a Planet Friendly Workplace
Turning a new leaf
As a hangover from our school days, many of us treat September like the real start of the year. As the leaves turn, so do our thoughts. We set goals and make resolutions with the aim of upping our productivity, taking better care of ourselves, and creating better habits. By now, many of us have made the connection that doing good feels good. This inspires us to carve out spaces where we can live our values, enhancing our wellbeing, and benefitting our communities. As more of us return to the office, whether full-time, or in a hybrid-working arrangement, the way we view our working environments has changed. Many of us are more aware of our professional and business emissions. Here are some ways you can create a more planet friendly workplace
Let’s talk internet emissions. Paperless ≠ zero impact.
In his bestselling 2010 book, How Bad are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything, Mike Berners-Lee estimated that a typical year of email adds 300 pounds of emissions to a person’s footprint. This is equivalent of “driving 200 miles in an average car.” The embodied energy in every message includes storing and transmitting emails. This increases for emails that are graphics-heavy in the signature, or that contain attachments. Get into the habit of clearing out your inbox and unsubscribing from rarely opened newsletters. Create a clean minimal signature. Think twice before shooting off that quick response. Condense the way you use email overall.
Recharge, refurbish, support renewable energy.
Work premises should ideally run on green energy. Switch to LEDs where possible and discontinue single-use. Rechargeable devices and batteries are a greener option for the office, as well as buying refurbished tech when you need an upgrade. The Ecosia search engine extension can be added to your existing browser, and plants trees with every search. They use 100% of their profits for climate action, and run on 200% renewable energy.
Clean greener.
There are great options for your staff kitchen. Sse real crockery, cutlery, and glassware, and fill the dishwasher to capacity, then run the eco setting. Unpaper towels, Swedish dishcloths, and compostable sponges are great for tidying up if you have an onsite washing machine. Reusing is always more energy efficient than single-use items over time, and eventually cheaper too. For ocean-safe refill cleaning products, head to Bower Collective, where you can use their postal closed-loop service for everything from hand soap to dish detergent. Their products prevent more plastic entering our waterways and food chain. You can even make an eco-statement by choosing a bamboo loo roll brand such as Who Gives a Crap, Bumboo, Cheeky Panda, or Naked Sprout’s unbleached option.
Green energy generation.
Regarding waste, sign up to an eco-conscious collection service such as The First Mile. This is who we use at Social Pantry. They run an all-electric fleet and take printer cartridges, batteries, stationery, and electricals. Where items can’t be refurbished, reused or donated, they are broken down into components so that certain materials can be recovered, and what’s left goes into green energy generation. A food recycling bin will take care of all your coffee grounds and tea bags. Minimise waste further by bringing meals from home where you can. Kit yourself out with a reusable coffee cup, and water bottle for on-the-go refreshments. Supporting local businesses is really important too: start a conversation about compostable packaging, or bring-your-own container incentives. If you’re a commuter, enquire about a cycle-to-work scheme, or a season ticket loan.
Refillable, recyclable stationery.
As for your stationery cupboard, try refill pens and pencils. You can even get an ink converter if you use fountain pens. Use recycled FSC paper products, including paper tape. There are some innovative new paper types out there that don’t rely on trees, like notebooks made of stone or apple leather, however these bio materials are currently combined with plastic for durability and are difficult to recycle if at all. Luckily there are lots of great recycled options, including those from Vent For Change.
Future proof your workplace.
To ensure you stay on track, consider setting up or leading an eco focus group with your colleagues. Not only can you tackle the day-to-day things, you can set up team activities such as foraging or a community beach clean, or invite expert speakers to give lunchtime talks. There are some really big issues that come with doing business, from tracking and reporting your carbon footprint, to looking at company ethics, and employee wellbeing. Everything is connected! Future-proof your business or workplace, and feel good in the process.
