More and more companies are going green—that is, adopting practices that “lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations.” (Source )
It seems like many large offices are a wasteland of, well…waste. Air-conditioners run on high 24 hours per day, making it so cold inside that workers need sweaters even during a heat wave. Paper copies are made, distributed, and disposed of without being so much as glanced at. Office supplies are ordered without thought, and then wasted or taken home. With the company footing the bill, no one thinks much about these things.
If you cringe at the waste created by your office on a daily basis, there are a few things you can do.
1. Petition your building manager about the air-conditioning. There’s no reason it must be on at all times, even if there are some workers who like to burn the midnight oil. Temperatures cool down at night anyway, so see if you can get the maintenance workers to agree to turn off the air at a certain time each night—say, 8:00 p.m.
Additionally, see if they wouldn’t mind making the daytime temperature a few degrees higher. For the minority of employees who find artic temperatures ideal, there are dozens more who resent having to bundle up in mid-July. There isn’t much difference between keeping it 70 degrees and 73 degrees, but the impact on the environment can be enormous. If they need some convincing, remind them that their electric bill will also thrive. Try and get workers from other offices in the building to sign a petition saying they agree with this.
2. Campaign for carpooling and bus pass programs. See if your company will match the cost of monthly bus passes, and contact HR about organizing carpools for employees, offering rewards such as bonuses or gift certificates for those who participate.
3. Recycle. Most companies have recycling programs, but people are often lazy about using them. A recycle bin is usually centrally-located, and workers would rather drop something in their own trash than walk to the center of the room with rubbish.
Install a small recycling box or bin at every cubicle, and see if the maintenance or housekeeping workers will empty each bin into the main recycling receptacle in the evening. If not, volunteer to do so yourself, or set up a rotation for conscientious employees to do so.
4. Buy green. Encourage management to purchase green office supplies. Everything is green these days, from office chairs made from recycled material, to environmentally friendly cleaning supplies for the bathrooms. Check out The Green Office http://www.thegreenoffice.com/ for more green-friendly supplies.
5. Create incentive. Because workers are used to the company footing the bill for supplies, power, and more at work, there is little to encourage them to participate in environmentally-friendly behaviors. Only the most devoted tree-huggers will accept “the environment” as motivation enough. Provide incentives, training, and awareness in your office.
6. Lead by example. If upper-management participates in green programs in the workplace, others are more likely to follow suit.
