4 Cost-Effective Tips for an Eco-Friendly Workplace

Sustainable enterprises have taken the economy by storm with the increasing focus on being environmentally conscious, and hence it becomes all the more urgent for existing companies to ramp up their eco-friendly efforts. However, spending hefty amounts of money on installing high-tech solar panels may be an expense you are not willing to make. As such, here are 3 cost-effective tips that will create a more environmentally friendly workplace while still keeping to your budget:

1. Store documents online

With the help of recent technologies, transferring physical documents online becomes even easier. Utilising free resources such as Google Drive or Zoho WorkDrive can help to store important documents with greater ease. Additionally, doing so helps to reduce costs as you can save on purchasing paper, ink cartridges and printers, allowing you to go green and cut costs simultaneously.

2. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!

According to National Environment Agency (NEA), only 56% of paper was recycled in 2018. Despite one’s best efforts, it is unavoidable that there will still be a fair bit of paper used in the workplace. Hence, placing recycling bins around the office encourages workers to recycle . In fact, recycling is not just limited to paper products, but also electronic waste. Items such as old computers can also be recycled, which greatly decreases the amount of waste thrown in our landfills.

3. Minimise energy consumption

Minimising the amount of resources used, such as water and electricity, is not only great for the environment but will also greatly benefit companies economically. Turning off the faucet and lighting when not in use, and increasing the temperature of the air conditioning by a few degrees are only a few examples that may seem small but will lead to big results. Another commonly overlooked practice is to unplug electronic devices when not in use. Although the device may be switched off, they still draw phantom power from your power supplies and thus leads to unnecessary costs, both monetary and environmentally.

4. Green alternatives

Finally, while switching out typical appliances with green alternatives may induce a higher initial cost, such investments show to be cheaper in the long run. Choosing LED bulbs over incandescent lighting can help to save up to 75% of your original energy usage, and lasts 25 times longer. Installing a faucet aerator in the kitchen of your office is also a great way to reduce water usage without a change in water pressure.

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