Most people spend the majority of their day at their office. You become someone else when it comes to your habits. At home you will plan your meals, for example, at the office you’ll eat food high in carbohydrates that you normally won’t eat at home. It’s as if you are more resourceful at home than at work regarding yourself and your environment. Everything is focused on doing the job, and not living.

At home you are the responsible one for paying bills and buying groceries. You are more mindful of what you waste, how much electricity and water you use, and what ends up as trash. At the office, you don’t have the direct responsibility so you are not aware of the amount of electricity used or what is trashed.  At home you probably have eco-friendly habits in place, for example a recycling bin, and making compost with leftovers that don’t need to be thrown in the bin. You turn off the lights when you leave a room. What about at work?

Office and working environments differ. At some places there are less pollution and damage to the environment than other places. However, if you care for your planet, wherever you work, you can adopt eco-friendly habits. You as an employee or employer have the opportunity to think green and to act upon it.

To get you started, here are 5 tips how to change the work environment into an eco-friendly working place.

-1- Transport and Traveling

How you get to work and back home has an effect on your planet. If you need to travel by car, consider starting a carpool, or travel with public transport, by bus or train. Walking and cycling are other options if you work close enough to home. Some jobs, a car is essential for the job itself, for example sales representatives, estate agents or meeting clients away from the office. The latter you could make turns meeting at each other’s office, and then only one person needs to drive. Another possibility is to travel to work by bus or train and to leave your car at the office, to use there as necessary for the job.

-2- Trash and Waste

Many workplaces have recycling systems in place. If your office doesn’t have one yet, be the first to suggest it and implement it if necessary. What about the leftover food that you would have made compost from at home, but now you are at work? Keep in mind that compost is a fuel that can be used. If your office has a garden, then you are ready to go with the compost. Find out if some of your co-workers have a large garden and would need extra compost.  Use dish towels at work instead of paper towels to clean up where you haves spilled coffee. You can also use reusable napkins. The office can invest in coffee mugs instead of plastic ones.

-3- Home Office

Working from home immediately sorts out the transport problem. However, not all jobs can be done from home. You could be possibly that work from home one day a week. The office can employ a virtual assistant when additional staff is necessary, instead of an employee that needs to be in the office. Having an online office is a major plus point in modern society today. Telephone calls and emails can easily be forwarded to your home. You can save a lot on gas by making use of an online office. There are many tasks that can be done online without being in the office.

-4- Electricity Saving

Implement your good habits you have at home, at your office. Turn off lights when in a room not being in usage. Turn of computers, printers and other equipment at the end of the day. Exercise and take the stairs instead of the elevator.

-5- Green Fun

Being eco-friendly is a fun thing to do. Enjoy the new habits knowing you are playing a role in taking care of the planet. Be adventurous with ways to be green.  It will become a habit sooner than you think, and then you won’t even have to remind yourself to do it. Being positive already changes the atmosphere. Encourage your colleagues to join the fun.

Have a look at what is the source of the office waste. That will give you a good indication on what steps to take.

About Out of the Office Virtual Assistance:

At Out of the Office, we offer ideas and ways to increase your productivity, decrease your workload, and work more efficiently. We nurture a successful business relationship, while continuing to grow as your business partner. We are focused on streamlining your administration, social media planning and execution, and offering creative solutions for your business success.

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