How to Create a Sustainable Workplace

From the beautiful natural scenes shared by David Attenborough to the inspiring speeches of Greta Thunberg, looking after the only planet we have has never had such a strong focus. Whilst there are scientists, politicians and activists working hard to bring about significant ecological improvements, it’s amazing how large a positive impact we can all have by making small changes in the workplace.

Whether you work in an office, an industrial facility, a retail setting or even at home, take a look at our tips below and put them in place as much as possible.

Create a paperless work environment

This has been a popular one for many years, yet it’s amazing how much paper most businesses use on a daily basis. From unnecessary print-outs to notes on paper when they could be saved digitally, you’ll probably find that it’s actually very easy to reduce your paper usage right away.

If you want to go digital in different ways, there are a lot of tools out there. Some particularly good ones are Evernote for organising tasks and thoughts, Google Docs for everything from documents to spreadsheets, and Slack, which is an instant messaging platform where all messages are saved for future reference,

We also recommend switching to digital bank statements and bills, plus downloading cloud accounting software such as Xero and Receipt Bank will both reduce the amount of paper you use and allow you to recycle more of it by storing the information in the cloud.

Reduce, reuse and recycle

The key to this advice is to do as much of the first one as possible, followed by the second, and then the third where necessary. When you reduce the amount of everyday items around the workplace, like plastic bags and unnecessary mail, you immediately decrease the volume of wasted materials. Then when you reuse items, such as switching to reusable cups, metal straws and refillable toner cartridges, you lower your waste even further, often to a very significant extent.

Finally, when something can’t be used any more, given to an employee to take home or passed on to a charity, it’s time to recycle it. We know it’s tempting to put it in the bin, but by ensuring that it goes to a recycling facility you’re giving it a whole new purpose.

Reduce your energy

We’re sure you know the main ways to reduce your company’s energy consumption, such as turning off lights when a room isn’t in use and powering down equipment rather than leaving it on standby, but there are a few more methods that you can try.

The kitchen is a great place to start. For instance, only fill the kettle as much as needed, clear the fridge of old items to increase its efficiency, and only turn the dishwasher on when it’s completely full. You could also look at installing energy efficient bulbs across the premises, plus did you know that laptops require less energy than desktop computers?

It could also be worthwhile looking into alternative energy suppliers. Bulb and Good Energy come highly recommended, as they’re dedicated to providing green energy generated through sustainable systems.

Use eco-conscious suppliers

Whether it’s your coffee or your dishcloths, your stationery or your furniture, there’s always a supplier available that will have an excellent sustainability policy. When it comes to wipes, Dirteeze is the solution, as we’re committed to integrating high levels of sustainability and biodegradability throughout our product range whilst preventing plastic pollution.

If you really want to go green, you definitely need to check out our new bamboo range, which uses no plastic, fossil fuels or oil reserves. What’s more, due to bamboo growing so quickly, our natural forest is fully sustainable.

Go green with Dirteeze

When you choose Dirteeze, you’re investing in wipes with a difference! Please note that due to enormous demand, some of our wipes may be temporarily out of stock. Get in touch to find out which ones are currently available and we’ll also let you know who your nearest stockist is.