Tips for a more environmentally friendly workplace

Did you know that June 5th every year is World Environment Day?

The theme for 2008 is: CO2 – Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy.

The main international celebrations of World Environment Day 2008 will be held in New Zealand. As a New Zealander I am very proud that my old home city of Wellington will be hosting this United Nations day.

Below is a range of ideas on how you and your work colleagues can improve the sustainability of day-to-day activities at work. The ideas are based on a guide put together by the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment which I have modified to better reflect the Hong Kong situation.

Enjoy sharing the ideas in the guide with your work colleagues and Lets make every day, World Environment Day!!!

Easy things to do – most are free (and may even save you money)

• Involve staff, family and your community when looking for ways to improve your environmental sustainability.
• Turn off all lights and electrical equipment (at the wall is best) when not in use. Unplug any chargers since they are still draining power. Look in the boardroom and kitchen for equipment to turn off.
• Print things only when absolutely necessary, use the double-sided or booklet printing option and recycle all paper.
• Use stationery and office paper with at least 50 percent recycled content and FSC accreditation.
• Eliminate, minimise or recycle packaging when making purchasing decisions – check if the product can be recycled.
• Look for accepted environmental accreditation such as ISO 14000 or HK Green Label Scheme.
• Remove individual staff rubbish bins, or promote waste reduction and recycling by providing only a paper box and a small bin.
• Reduce/increase air conditioning temperatures in winter/summer. Moving your thermostat up 2°C in summer or down 2°C in winter can save hundred of kilograms of CO2 emissions.
• Reduce your use of plastic bags instead use cloth bags or reuse plastic bags.

Moderate things to do – minor cost / effort

• Change light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) – they last much longer and use 20-30 percent less energy. Where possible use LED lights.
• Recycle as much waste as practicable.
• Don’t provide disposable crockery or cutlery, and discourage the use of takeaway containers.
• Print business cards on recycled paper and do not laminate.
• Encourage public transport for journeys to and from work and during work hours.
• When purchasing appliances, consider their water and energy efficiency ratings. Select the design that does not need power (a good example is water dispensers that are gravity fed though why not consider using filtered tap water).
• Use 100 percent recycled and chlorine-free paper, non-toxic printing inks, and recyclable toner cartridges for printing and publishing.
• Provide eco-friendly cleaning products, hand soaps and toilet paper.
• Provide Fair Trade or organic tea and coffee products.
• Conserve water by installing water-saving urinals and dual-flush toilets.
• Have real plants instead of plastic plants. Real ones give of great fumes – oxygen.

Significant actions – a bit more cost or effort

• Consider whether you really need to fly to that face-to-face meeting. Take land or sea based transport instead or better still have a teleconference.
• Provide organic food when catering for functions.
• Install lighting occupancy sensors that automatically turn lights on or off, depending on occupancy. These sensors work well in areas such as conference rooms, break rooms or individual offices that are not occupied continuously.
• Make company uniforms from eco-friendly textiles.
• Provide printers with ‘follow-me’ capability to minimise wasted office printing.
• Write environmental criteria into tendering documents, contracts, policies and procurement guidelines – include sustainability of products over their lifetime and end-of-life disposal clauses.
• Recognise, reward and publicise good performance and innovation in sustainable practice.
  In new and refitted building projects, give preference to sustainable building materials, practices and design.
• Select replacement furniture that is made from eco-friendly materials.
• Measure, track and report on progress – what gets measured gets managed.

I am sure a couple of these tips made you stop and think about what you can change in your workplace. Why not now go and see how you can implement one of those tips in your workplace.

If you would like assistance in :

• developing a plan for making your workplace more environmentally friendly
• greening your corporate events

then contact Ecovision Asia (http://www.ecovisionasia.com/)


Grow well
Dr Merrin