Eco Friendly Office Guide
It's surprising what a difference you and
your colleagues can make in your office premises. Intelligent
planning, cutting down on waste and informed purchases can all help
the environment. We take a look at simple steps on how to get there.
Introduction
When trying to become more environmentally friendly
at work, it's important to think of it as an ongoing
mission rather than a one-off project. Building it into
your organisation's ethos is important for this to work,
and get the rest of the workforce motivated to help.
It helps to have a nominated person to champion the
cause but everybody should be involved, so discuss ideas
and plans regularly with your colleagues. This can help
you
formalise an Environmental Policy, whilst
informal reminders such as an office notice board can
keep people reminded too.
Be sure to integrate your eco friendly thinking with
new employees as well as current staff. Green workplace
issues can be part of all job descriptions, whilst an
induction could include a demonstration of recycling and
reducing waste.
Once you have implemented your plans, celebrate them!
No matter how small, all achievements should be celebrated
with the workforce to keep motivation levels high.
Beyond an Environmental Policy, working towards a formal
environmental management system such as ISO 14001
, where you are externally verified, demonstrates your
achievement to the World. A standard like ISO 14001 is also
beneficial when tendering.
Purchasing Responsibly
Saving water and recycling paper are well known and
practiced methods of being more eco friendly. However,
purchasing can have significant and far-reaching impacts
both socially and environmentally. Where we buy products
from; what they are made of; who has made them and what
will happen to them when we are finished, are all issues
which need to be considered.
Responsible procurement is about determining whole life
costs, and considering whether you need the product/service
in the first place; whether the amount of packaging could be
reduced; if transport can be reduced; if the product is part
of an ethical production process; and, ensuring that work is
contracted out to organisations that demonstrate they are
environmentally and ethically responsible as well.
Key questions to ask when making purchasing decisions are:
Do we need this product/service?
Can the need be met in another
way?
Is the quantity requested
essential?
Can the requirement be met by
renting or sharing instead?
Is the current specification
the correct one for the purpose?
Can the product serve a useful
purpose after its initial use?
Buying Green
Recycled Goods
Often we’re quite good at thinking about recycling, but
have you ever considered what happens to all those things you
put in the recycling bin or bag? For recycling to be
successful we also need to buy back recycled products, thereby
closing the ‘recycling loop’. Buying recycled not only means
less waste ends up in landfills, but also means that less
energy will be expended to create new products from raw materials.
Recycled paper can use up to 90% less water
and 50% less energy than making it brand new from trees.
As well as paper, you can buy recycled pens, pencils, light
bulbs, hygiene and cleaning products in environmentally friendly
forms. Take a look at what alternatives your office supplies
company has to offer.
Efficient use of Energy
Buy products that are efficient so that you minimise energy,
water and resource use. Always buy electrical equipment with good
energy efficiency ratings. If your office building has a
catering facility, try to buy organic and Fairtrade foods.
Fairtrade is about a fair and sustainable trade price and
producers getting better terms of trade for the goods they produce.
You can buy over 1000 different types of Fairtrade products
including bananas, tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar and juice.
> Visit Fairtrade
Reduce Packaging
When purchasing, request that packaging be taken back to the
supplier on delivery for reuse. Another option is to request
reduced packaging by volume or weight. In addition, ask for
reusable or recyclable packaging or packaging made from recycled
materials. You can also buy in bulk, minimising waste by
reducing packaging and reducing the number of trips needed to
deliver the product.
You can also buy locally to minimise transport of products.
Of course, buying locally also means that local communities
benefit economically.
Reducing Waste
In a workplace, energy is used in lighting, heating, air
conditioning and for running various types of electrical
equipment that we use daily such as PC’s, photocopiers and
printers. Office equipment alone typically accounts for more
than 20% of the energy used in most offices, sometimes up to
70%!
Adopting simple housekeeping measures in the workplace
will produce cost savings and energy savings to benefit the
environment. Everyone uses energy and can help save it - is
your organisation doing its bit?
Paper
Reducing your impact of printing and photocopying is mostly
about reducing your use of paper, so what can you do?
Email whenever you can. Even if it's then printed out, at
least you have saved an envelope and the additional energy
consumed sending a letter in the first place. If you want to
share information, you can post it online for download instead
of sending multiple letters.
When sending out a mailer, make sure your mailing list is
up-to-date, removing duplicate addresses. Encourage your
recipients to inform you of duplicate mailings.
The average office worker uses up to 100
sheets of paper each day.
Can you reduce the amount of mail you receive? Does anyone
else in the office get the same publications as you? Do you
get junk mail that you could easily unsubscribe from? Small
steps like these help the environment and stop your desk from
getting cluttered!
Generally, try to print only when necessary. For
internal use, reduce the font size or print margins so less
paper is needed. Try to print double sided wherever possible
too. If you haven't got a printer with this facility, reuse
the paper for note taking or designate a paper tray to print
on the other side of the used paper for less important print
outs.
Recycle paper and cardboard whenever possible - have a
recycling box in your office to make it easier. If some
paperwork is confidential buy a shredder so that it can still
be recycled.
Computers & Screens
Don’t power your computer system up until you really need
it - a personal computer uses about one second of running-time
energy when starting up. It is far more cost effective to turn
it off when not in use.
A monitor left on overnight wastes enough
energy to laser-print 800 A4 pages.
Switch off your PC system over lunch and whenever you are
away from your desk for any length of time - computer
manufacturers have stated that you can switch off up to three
times a day without reducing the lifetime of the computer.
Turn off your screen when you’re not using it too, monitors
use 10% of energy when the computer is on stand-by but use
almost nothing when switched off at the front.
Did you know a computer left running 24/7 will cost some
£70 to run? Try multiplying that by the numbers of computers in
your building. It soon adds up! A computer left running only
during office hours will cost you just £15 a year to run in
comparison.
Printers & Photocopiers
Switch them off overnight and - if possible - when not in
use. Every hour less you have it switched on saves 0.5kg of
carbon dioxide a week. Even standby consumes energy and costs
you money. Replacing your printer or copier? Look for
good energy efficient ratings and features such as printing in
draft mode.
Don’t switch machines on until you really need them - can
you agree times to switch it off? How about not turning it on
until 10.00am, or turning it off for an hour at lunchtime?
When printing, don't use full colour unless necessary.
Lighter copies use less toner and that means less cost for
you and less toxins on the paper when it eventually gets
recycled. Set the default to a tolerable ‘light’ level or put
up a notice that reminds you.
Starting to get those tell-tale ‘streaks’ that show the
toner cartridge is running out? Shaking the cartridge
vigorously from left to right for about 30 seconds often
prolongs the active life of the cartridge and means you get
extra value for your money. When it does eventually run out,
be sure to recycle it!
Lighting
Lighting accounts for about one third of the electricity
used in the office, so remember to switch off at night and
encourage cleaners to do the same.
Lighting an empty office overnight wastes
enough energy to heat water for 1,000 cups of coffee.
Use energy efficient bulbs instead of standard light
bulbs. As a general light, a fluorescent lamp is the most
energy efficient option, but natural light is best.
Do you have blinds on the windows? Open them up!
Turn off the lights every time you leave a room, such
as after a meeting. Contrary to popular belief, the
fluorescent lamp does not wear out more quickly or consume
more electricity when it is turned on and off.
Heating
Turn down your thermostat by a mere one degree and you
will save 10 percent on your heating bill while cutting
down on greenhouse gas emissions. Be sure to turn down
thermostat or radiator controls instead of opening windows.
Keep a gap between office furniture and radiators to ensure
heat circulates. Remember to report faulty equipment,
heating, and lighting.
The Kitchen
Get energy efficient appliances for the kitchen too! If
you purchase a microwave, coffee pot or refrigerator for
your office lunchroom, get the smallest size you need and
choose the one with the best energy rating.
Only fill the kettle with the water you need.
Over-filling it means energy is used unnecessarily to heat
water, which isn’t consumed.
Monitor energy and water consumption in your building and
introduce efficiency measures. An increase in water
consumption can signify a hidden leak and should be
investigated. Your building may be on a corporate energy
contract. If it is, you may be able to receive monitoring
information.
Do you use disposable cups for a drinks machine? Some
aren't recyclable so stop using them! Ideally, get colleagues
to use mugs and glasses instead.
When it comes to kitchen waste, have separate bins or bags
to collect waste food, packaging and glass.
Glass can be endlessly recycled! Amazingly,
it can be recycled indefinitely with no loss in quality.
Transport
‘Going green’ with travel in the office has numerous
benefits. Car use is responsible for nearly one quarter of
climate change emissions and general air pollution around where
we live, work and breathe! Using public transport is easy, and
often more convenient (imagine not having the hassle of finding
a parking space!), whilst walking and cycling has real benefits
for our health as well as reducing our negative impact on the
planet.
We can reduce traffic and pollution by:
Reducing the need to travel
Encouraging staff to walk, cycle
or use public transport
Using the greenest vehicles and
maintaining them rigorously
Flexible Working
Flexi working and working from home is an excellent way to
reduce the number of journeys to work. IT systems can be set
up so you can access work email from home.
Travelling to Work
If flexi working isn't an option, you could car pool with
colleagues in the local area. It's good for the environment,
makes parking easier and you can share running costs so it
works out cheaper too! Otherwise, getting the bus at least
gets another car off the road. You can pin bus timetables on
the office notice board to encourage people to join you.
If you're close to work, a typical 4km walk or cycle will
save about £250 a year, even more if fuel prices continue to
increase! If you need to buy a bike, the Government has set
up a tax free incentive if you plan to ride to work.
> Visit Cyclescheme
Go green - literally!
All the electrical equipment in offices can lead to an
unhealthy office environment, so why not green the office
with plants? Houseplants are good at ridding the air of
pollutants and toxins, as well stimulating ideas and creating
more attractive work environment.
It is good practice to ensure there is a distribution of
houseplants in the office/workplace. Plants which are
particularly good for improving indoor air quality include the
peace lily, the rubber plant and the spider plant.
The British Assessment Bureau's reputation was
established in 1969 and we achieved pre-eminent status
in 1997. Today we are a revered UKAS accredited
Assessment Body with an enviable reputation for customer
service.
As well as providing certification to internationally
recognised standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, we
provide bespoke assessment services for people, services
and organisations of all sizes.
For more information visit
www.british-assessment.co.uk.
Introduction
When trying to become more environmentally friendly
at work, it's important to think of it as an ongoing
mission rather than a one-off project. Building it into
your organisation's ethos is important for this to work,
and get the rest of the workforce motivated to help.
It helps to have a nominated person to champion the
cause but everybody should be involved, so discuss ideas
and plans regularly with your colleagues. This can help
you
formalise an Environmental Policy, whilst
informal reminders such as an office notice board can
keep people reminded too.
Be sure to integrate your eco friendly thinking with
new employees as well as current staff. Green workplace
issues can be part of all job descriptions, whilst an
induction could include a demonstration of recycling and
reducing waste.
Once you have implemented your plans, celebrate them!
No matter how small, all achievements should be celebrated
with the workforce to keep motivation levels high.
Beyond an Environmental Policy, working towards a formal
environmental management system such as ISO 14001
, where you are externally verified, demonstrates your
achievement to the World. A standard like ISO 14001 is also
beneficial when tendering.
Purchasing Responsibly
Saving water and recycling paper are well known and
practiced methods of being more eco friendly. However,
purchasing can have significant and far-reaching impacts
both socially and environmentally. Where we buy products
from; what they are made of; who has made them and what
will happen to them when we are finished, are all issues
which need to be considered.
Responsible procurement is about determining whole life
costs, and considering whether you need the product/service
in the first place; whether the amount of packaging could be
reduced; if transport can be reduced; if the product is part
of an ethical production process; and, ensuring that work is
contracted out to organisations that demonstrate they are
environmentally and ethically responsible as well.
Key questions to ask when making purchasing decisions are:
Do we need this product/service?
Can the need be met in another
way?
Is the quantity requested
essential?
Can the requirement be met by
renting or sharing instead?
Is the current specification
the correct one for the purpose?
Can the product serve a useful
purpose after its initial use?
Buying Green
Recycled Goods
Often we’re quite good at thinking about recycling, but
have you ever considered what happens to all those things you
put in the recycling bin or bag? For recycling to be
successful we also need to buy back recycled products, thereby
closing the ‘recycling loop’. Buying recycled not only means
less waste ends up in landfills, but also means that less
energy will be expended to create new products from raw materials.
Recycled paper can use up to 90% less water
and 50% less energy than making it brand new from trees.
As well as paper, you can buy recycled pens, pencils, light
bulbs, hygiene and cleaning products in environmentally friendly
forms. Take a look at what alternatives your office supplies
company has to offer.
Efficient use of Energy
Buy products that are efficient so that you minimise energy,
water and resource use. Always buy electrical equipment with good
energy efficiency ratings. If your office building has a
catering facility, try to buy organic and Fairtrade foods.
Fairtrade is about a fair and sustainable trade price and
producers getting better terms of trade for the goods they produce.
You can buy over 1000 different types of Fairtrade products
including bananas, tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar and juice.
Reduce Packaging
When purchasing, request that packaging be taken back to the
supplier on delivery for reuse. Another option is to request
reduced packaging by volume or weight. In addition, ask for
reusable or recyclable packaging or packaging made from recycled
materials. You can also buy in bulk, minimising waste by
reducing packaging and reducing the number of trips needed to
deliver the product.
You can also buy locally to minimise transport of products.
Of course, buying locally also means that local communities
benefit economically.
Reducing Waste
In a workplace, energy is used in lighting, heating, air
conditioning and for running various types of electrical
equipment that we use daily such as PC’s, photocopiers and
printers. Office equipment alone typically accounts for more
than 20% of the energy used in most offices, sometimes up to
70%!
Adopting simple housekeeping measures in the workplace
will produce cost savings and energy savings to benefit the
environment. Everyone uses energy and can help save it - is
your organisation doing its bit?
Paper
Reducing your impact of printing and photocopying is mostly
about reducing your use of paper, so what can you do?
Email whenever you can. Even if it's then printed out, at
least you have saved an envelope and the additional energy
consumed sending a letter in the first place. If you want to
share information, you can post it online for download instead
of sending multiple letters.
When sending out a mailer, make sure your mailing list is
up-to-date, removing duplicate addresses. Encourage your
recipients to inform you of duplicate mailings.
The average office worker uses up to 100
sheets of paper each day.
Can you reduce the amount of mail you receive? Does anyone
else in the office get the same publications as you? Do you
get junk mail that you could easily unsubscribe from? Small
steps like these help the environment and stop your desk from
getting cluttered!
Generally, try to print only when necessary. For
internal use, reduce the font size or print margins so less
paper is needed. Try to print double sided wherever possible
too. If you haven't got a printer with this facility, reuse
the paper for note taking or designate a paper tray to print
on the other side of the used paper for less important print
outs.
Recycle paper and cardboard whenever possible - have a
recycling box in your office to make it easier. If some
paperwork is confidential buy a shredder so that it can still
be recycled.
Computers & Screens
Don’t power your computer system up until you really need
it - a personal computer uses about one second of running-time
energy when starting up. It is far more cost effective to turn
it off when not in use.
A monitor left on overnight wastes enough
energy to laser-print 800 A4 pages.
Switch off your PC system over lunch and whenever you are
away from your desk for any length of time - computer
manufacturers have stated that you can switch off up to three
times a day without reducing the lifetime of the computer.
Turn off your screen when you’re not using it too, monitors
use 10% of energy when the computer is on stand-by but use
almost nothing when switched off at the front.
Did you know a computer left running 24/7 will cost some
£70 to run? Try multiplying that by the numbers of computers in
your building. It soon adds up! A computer left running only
during office hours will cost you just £15 a year to run in
comparison.
Printers & Photocopiers
Switch them off overnight and - if possible - when not in
use. Every hour less you have it switched on saves 0.5kg of
carbon dioxide a week. Even standby consumes energy and costs
you money. Replacing your printer or copier? Look for
good energy efficient ratings and features such as printing in
draft mode.
Don’t switch machines on until you really need them - can
you agree times to switch it off? How about not turning it on
until 10.00am, or turning it off for an hour at lunchtime?
When printing, don't use full colour unless necessary.
Lighter copies use less toner and that means less cost for
you and less toxins on the paper when it eventually gets
recycled. Set the default to a tolerable ‘light’ level or put
up a notice that reminds you.
Starting to get those tell-tale ‘streaks’ that show the
toner cartridge is running out? Shaking the cartridge
vigorously from left to right for about 30 seconds often
prolongs the active life of the cartridge and means you get
extra value for your money. When it does eventually run out,
be sure to recycle it!
Lighting
Lighting accounts for about one third of the electricity
used in the office, so remember to switch off at night and
encourage cleaners to do the same.
Lighting an empty office overnight wastes
enough energy to heat water for 1,000 cups of coffee.
Use energy efficient bulbs instead of standard light
bulbs. As a general light, a fluorescent lamp is the most
energy efficient option, but natural light is best.
Do you have blinds on the windows? Open them up!
Turn off the lights every time you leave a room, such
as after a meeting. Contrary to popular belief, the
fluorescent lamp does not wear out more quickly or consume
more electricity when it is turned on and off.
Heating
Turn down your thermostat by a mere one degree and you
will save 10 percent on your heating bill while cutting
down on greenhouse gas emissions. Be sure to turn down
thermostat or radiator controls instead of opening windows.
Keep a gap between office furniture and radiators to ensure
heat circulates. Remember to report faulty equipment,
heating, and lighting.
The Kitchen
Get energy efficient appliances for the kitchen too! If
you purchase a microwave, coffee pot or refrigerator for
your office lunchroom, get the smallest size you need and
choose the one with the best energy rating.
Only fill the kettle with the water you need.
Over-filling it means energy is used unnecessarily to heat
water, which isn’t consumed.
Monitor energy and water consumption in your building and
introduce efficiency measures. An increase in water
consumption can signify a hidden leak and should be
investigated. Your building may be on a corporate energy
contract. If it is, you may be able to receive monitoring
information.
Do you use disposable cups for a drinks machine? Some
aren't recyclable so stop using them! Ideally, get colleagues
to use mugs and glasses instead.
When it comes to kitchen waste, have separate bins or bags
to collect waste food, packaging and glass.
Glass can be endlessly recycled! Amazingly,
it can be recycled indefinitely with no loss in quality.
Transport
‘Going green’ with travel in the office has numerous
benefits. Car use is responsible for nearly one quarter of
climate change emissions and general air pollution around where
we live, work and breathe! Using public transport is easy, and
often more convenient (imagine not having the hassle of finding
a parking space!), whilst walking and cycling has real benefits
for our health as well as reducing our negative impact on the
planet.
We can reduce traffic and pollution by:
Reducing the need to travel
Encouraging staff to walk, cycle
or use public transport
Using the greenest vehicles and
maintaining them rigorously
Flexible Working
Flexi working and working from home is an excellent way to
reduce the number of journeys to work. IT systems can be set
up so you can access work email from home.
Travelling to Work
If flexi working isn't an option, you could car pool with
colleagues in the local area. It's good for the environment,
makes parking easier and you can share running costs so it
works out cheaper too! Otherwise, getting the bus at least
gets another car off the road. You can pin bus timetables on
the office notice board to encourage people to join you.
If you're close to work, a typical 4km walk or cycle will
save about £250 a year, even more if fuel prices continue to
increase! If you need to buy a bike, the Government has set
up a tax free incentive if you plan to ride to work.
Go green - literally!
All the electrical equipment in offices can lead to an
unhealthy office environment, so why not green the office
with plants? Houseplants are good at ridding the air of
pollutants and toxins, as well stimulating ideas and creating
more attractive work environment.
It is good practice to ensure there is a distribution of
houseplants in the office/workplace. Plants which are
particularly good for improving indoor air quality include the
peace lily, the rubber plant and the spider plant.
The British Assessment Bureau's reputation was
established in 1969 and we achieved pre-eminent status
in 1997. Today we are a revered UKAS accredited
Assessment Body with an enviable reputation for customer
service.
As well as providing certification to internationally
recognised standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, we
provide bespoke assessment services for people, services
and organisations of all sizes.
For more information visit
www.british-assessment.co.uk.
