Purchase eco-friendly products
With a little bit of time and attention to detail, buying eco-friendly is an easy habit to get into once you have the correct mindset. Focus on purchasing recycled or re-usable products, as this will greatly reduce your workplace’s volume of “mixed waste“.
Paperless office
The less paper the better for the environment, so avoid printing wherever possible by getting into the habit of electronic-only communication and document storage. The savings and benefits to the environment are immense – reductions in paper waste, ink cartridges and electricity used by printers. A small business in the CAFA network of less than 10 people gradually went paperless and in its first year saved more than £6,000 in paper ink cartridges and hardware. A saving that went straight to its bottom line.
Recycling
This is one of easiest ways to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency in the workplace. For best practice an office or shop will be operating efficient recycling schemes for paper, cardboard, glass, cans and toner cartridges at the very minimum. Ensure your waste collection is reliable, and regular. Ensure any private waste collection suppliers are reputable. Enquire and ask for references for how the company treats and processes waste.
Waste that originates from IT equipment
53.6 million tonnes of e-waste was produced globally in 2019, an increase of more than 20% compared to five years prior. There are now facilities that wipe clean, take apart the hardware and recycle the internal parts at home and/or export overseas. Many computer and telephone devices contain valuable metals, making the business of e-waste very lucrative.
Lighting
Stick to natural light wherever possible by opening blinds and curtains and positioning desk stations closer to the light, as this reduces the need for powered lighting to be switched on. Research also shows that natural light has a number of health and well-being benefits, such as being a source of vitamin D as well as boosting employee productivity. Choose LED lights over any other lightbulbs as they are significantly more energy efficient. Install timers on your lighting and/or motion activated light sensors which will turn on for a designated period of time or whenever there is activity in the room. Introduce an internal ‘last to leave lights off’ policy for employees in the entire building or shop and specific areas of the workplace.
Power-off
Electronic machines and equipment that are plugged in but not being used or on standby account for a considerable amount of electricity consumption. So get into the habit of unplugging everything or turning off machines when not in use. This is especially true of computers and monitors, where it is common to leave them not only plugged in but also switched on in screen saver mode. Switching off will also boost your organisations cyber security.
Heating and cooling
Understand how the heating and cooling systems in your workplace operate and take advantage of any energy efficient settings that are built in. For example, you may be able to use timers or sensors to control your energy output. Turn off heating and cooling in unoccupied rooms and ensure windows and doors are closed when using heating or air-conditioning to optimise efficiency. The optimisation and regular servicing of your boilers is key. In the summer if it’s not too hot and its secure to do so, open windows instead of opting for air-con.
Insulation
Check your windows are properly sealed when closed and with no draughts. The same goes for doors and door frames. Address and fix all draughts. Ensure your roof and, where relevant, walls are properly and evenly insulated with environmentally sustainable insulation.
Renewable energy provision
Switching to renewable energy sources will enable your retail operation to reduce carbon emissions and its dependency on fossil fuels.
Conserve water
Keep unnecessary water usage to a minimum by fixing leaks within pipes or taps. Consider fitting low-flow aerator taps or electronic taps with sensors which will not only reduce the amount of water used but also improve hygiene. Ensure dishwashers are full before starting a wash cycle. Don’t overfill kettles – only using exactly the amount of water you need will make a big difference over time.
Suppliers
Select and procure green suppliers where possible, whether it be in relation to lower carbon products and services, suppliers that manage and measure their own carbon footprint or products and services that are supplied on a carbon equivalent basis.
Encourage greener commute
Reduce overall travel wherever possible, public transport over private, bicycles over powered vehicles, trains over domestic and short haul flights, petrol over diesel vehicles, and electric and hybrids over petrol vehicles. Look to implement flexible working and working from home strategies where possible, which can to help further reduce emissions. If you have a company car park, ensure there are EV charging options. Consider adding staff shower facilities to remove blockers to employees wishing to run or cycle to work. This will also be seen as an employee benefit. If you do offer shower facilities, communicate information regarding the optimal length of shower time/water usage.
Reward your employees and volunteers
Incentivise behaviour change by rewarding and communicating with employees as they adopt new practices.