In today’s world, most of us are looking for ways to work sustainably and ensure that our offices are as eco-friendly as possible. Reducing your company’s carbon footprint may be of paramount importance to you. There are various ways to achieve this objective, such as cutting down on waste, transitioning to a paperless office, and reducing your energy usage.

So, what should you focus on when considering how to be eco-friendly in the office and what are the best ways to achieve it?

Why is an eco-friendly office important?

Currently, the world is on the verge of an environmental crisis. Many experts are projecting that sea levels could rise exponentially as polar ice caps melt if we do not change the way we live as a society. Businesses can be extremely instrumental in ensuring that the environment is protected. By recycling more and creating less waste that goes to landfill sites, all businesses can play their part in preserving the earth for future generations.

1. Reduce your paper waste
Lowering the volume of paper waste that your office produces can help to protect the environment and reduce your net carbon footprint. One way of achieving this is to go digital and transition to a paperless office.

Going paperless can be facilitated by ensuring that your company has the right kinds of software in place to make the transition possible. For example, using software such as Spindle Document Management provides an effective solution for helping your business to transition to a paperless working environment. What’s more, document management software is an excellent way to streamline your business, cutting down on resource wastage and boosting your overall sustainability.

2. Reduce your energy usage
When your office is using vast amounts of energy, this can not only be extremely expensive but it can also have an impact on the environment. Therefore, it’s essential to focus on finding solutions that can streamline your processes and reduce the energy output of your company.

By automating the management of certain essential processes, such as a tool like Credit Hound, you can save vital energy resources and make your office a more eco-friendly environment. Rather than using hours of staff manpower to focus on these tasks, they can be achieved simply and quickly with automated software. That can reduce the amount of time that staff need to use energy-sapping technology and cut back on your carbon footprint.

3. Use recyclable office supplies
Even in a paperless digital office, there will always be some need for office supplies, such as folders and notepads. You can maximise the green potential of your workplace by choosing recycled notepads and binders that are environmentally friendly. In other areas of the business, such as at the coffee machine, you can also concentrate on being eco-friendly. Opt for coffee cups that are compostable, rather than plastic cups that can end up at landfill sites or in the world’s oceans.

4. Embrace green programmes
You can help to make your office eco-friendly from the outside in. By getting involved with programmes such as the UK Government’s Cycle to Work scheme, you can ensure that your employees’ daily commutes to the office are green ones. This is a great way to promote a greener, more sustainable office environment because by reducing the carbon footprint that your employees make when they are travelling to and from work, you’re naturally reducing the carbon footprint of your company too. As a bonus, encouraging exercise, such as cycling, is a great way to ensure that you have a healthy and happy workforce.

5. Focus on the physical layout of your office
Many small details in any office can be changed to boost its eco-friendliness. For example, adding in more living plants is one excellent and simple way to create a greener space. Plants can increase the oxygen levels in the air, which is extremely beneficial in indoor environments.

Another great way to boost your sustainability potential is to maximise natural light in the office. Sometimes this can involve structural changes to the building, but many times it can simply involve ensuring that all the window blinds are fully open to allow the sunlight to flood in. Doing this reduces the need to use artificial lights and reduces energy wastage. Not only is it an excellent way of being eco-friendly, but you might also find that it reduces the costs of your energy bills and saves you money.

Other solutions for how to be eco-friendly in the office
Alongside the main tips that you have read in this guide, there is an array of other little ways that you can ensure your office is eco-friendly. Some of these can include:

Using environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies that do not contain harsh and polluting chemicals.

– Recycling all your waste, including e-waste, to ensure that it does not end up at landfill sites.
– Creating green spaces outside that are eco-friendly.
– Scanning your older documents and archive them in the cloud
– Promote green living amongst all your employees to ensure they share your eco-friendly ethos

Ultimately, when you are considering various ways for how to be eco-friendly in the office, it involves your processes, employees and your office workspace itself. Therefore, using holistic solutions can deliver the kind of workplace that you truly want.

Why choose Draycir?
At Draycir, we pride ourselves on a combination of versatility, honesty and efficiency. We are motivated to ensure that our business is eco-friendly. We have changed our company’s fleet to all-electric to cut down our carbon footprint. Additionally, we have transitioned to a paperless office by supplying all employees with iPads for note-taking.

Our ethos is reflected in our entire product range. We design specialist software to simply and efficiently help your business run more smoothly. With our solutions, your business can benefit from functionality, cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness, so for more information, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team or visit our website.