The Green Office Guide 5 Simple Tips To A Greener Workplace by Maxime Charron @LeadingAhead
INTRODUTION Dear Environmentally Conscious Executive, You are on the path to making your workplace a more environmentally friendly place of business, but There are so many confusing and competing augments about what the best way to do so? It s frustrating just keeping up with the new fad ways to be a better steward to the environment. How do you ever know what you can do to help right now? You start by reading this guide. In this fact-filled easy to read cheat sheet, you ll discover 5 ridiculously simple ways that you can implement right away to have a more environmentally friendly work space. I wrote this guide to help busy executives like you, find simple, yet effective ways to contribute to the betterment of the planet. Thank you, Maxime Charron @LeadingAhead
Simple Tip 1: WASTE MANAGEMENT There are many things that can be done in the office to not only reduce your waste but to make sure that it goes at the right place. Removing all individual garbage bins from individual desk to reduce the amount of garbage, time for emptying them and avoiding everything being thrown in the same bin where organic waste and recyclable should be put in different bins. In order to solve this issue, placing centralized multi-purpose bins where people will find recycling, organics waste as well as trash all at the same location. Making sure these multi-purpose bins are located in strategic areas is key to this initiative success. Moreover, it will become a lot more convenient to get rid of all different waste in one place instead of having to go around the office reaching 2 or 3 different bins to get rid of their waste. Ultimately, your administration will save money since getting rid of trash is increasingly more expensive than recycling and organic waste. According to Growing City, office waste was composed of organic waste by about 50% which is the amount of expensive garbage that could be avoided and redirect to the right place. Finally, educating office personnel on how to use the new system is crucial to its success. As a manager or executive, it is imperative assure that everyone in the office or who comes to the office knows the system and where all different type of waste goes. Most often than not, multi-purpose bins will have signs indicating the type of waste that goes in each bin as a reminder and ease of understanding. Simple Tip 2: Remove every individual garbage bins from desks Add new multi-purpose waste bins Educate staff on what goes in each separate bin
PRINTING AND MATERIALS Most of us are aware about printing issues. They usually occur when people print things twice or more copies than are needed. Sometimes the printer or copier does not perform like we expect and waste ink and paper. Thankfully, today almost all paper can be eliminated. Obviously, we still need paper in some cases and this is not about becoming paperless but rather reducing paper use by up to 80%. There are many ways to do so: 1. Downloadable link instead of printouts for presentations 2. Set printer to double sided printing 3. Get the work approved before printing the final version 4. Do not print every email 5. Save everything important on a cloud based server 6. Systematize your processes 7. Subscribe to epost (Electronic postage service Canada & USA) 8. Many more. Another way to reduce costs and footprint is by using refillable printer cartridges. It costs about a third of the price to have them refilled and save a lot of plastic from either landfills or recycling facilities. This is a very easy approach to take which will have only positive results. The last thing that will assure maximizing this initiative is to purchase paper made from by product. There are a few options but personally, we use sugar or wheat sheets fabricated out of sugar cane and wheat waste process. Alternatively, there is an option to buy paper from recycled paper which is also a great option. The price is roughly the same as regular paper but it is a significant easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and claiming more points for certain green certifications. Simple Tip 3: Reduce and find alternative to printing Use refillable cartridge Purchase paper made from by-products (sugar cane & wheat) COMPUTER MANAGEMENT
COMPUTER MANAGEMENT We often underestimate common purchasing habits because we have done it this way for Most of us are aware about printing issues. They usually occur when people print things so long. In the young days of computers, desktops used to outperform laptops on a twice or more copies than are needed. Sometimes the printer or copier does not perform performance standpoint. This is not the case anymore. like we expect and waste ink and paper. Thankfully, today almost all paper can be eliminated. Obviously, we still need paper in some cases and this is not about becoming A laptop can be just as powerful as a desktop to accomplish any given tasks. However, a paperless but rather reducing paper use by up to 80%. There are many ways to do so: quick fact is that a laptop uses 50% to 80%1 less energy than a conventional desktop. Not only laptops are now the same price or cheaper than desktops, it also allows staff to work 1. Downloadable link instead of printouts for presentations remotely or switch desks when suitable. As the world is becoming more and more mobile a 2. Set printer to double sided printing laptop is the computer of choice. Some people may complain about the small screen but 3. Get the work approved before printing the final version there is always the alternative to only purchase a wider screen and connect the laptop to it 4. Do not print every email for longer working hours. 5. Save everything important on a cloud based server 6. Systematize your processes When new employees arrive, this is much easier to get them set up on a new or previously 7. Subscribe to epost (Electronic postage service Canada & USA) used laptop as they machine does not have to be static to a dedicated desk. It reduces techs 8. Many more. costs as well as there are not as many wires to install prior to using it. Less purchasing, reducing costs (laptop and energy) and improving productivity and mobility simply by Another way to reduce costs and footprint is by using refillable printer cartridges. It costs stopping buying desktop and starting buying laptops. about a third of the price to have them refilled and save a lot of plastic from either landfills or recycling facilities. This is a very easy approach to take which will have only positive As for the remaining desktop, assure that all employees save their work and shut their results. computers down at night. Even though the computer is on the screensaver or sleep mode, it still consumes energy. It might not seem a lot but let s say there is 50 computers in the The last thing that will assure maximizing this initiative is to purchase paper made from by office running at night unused. One night might not have an impact on your electricity bill product. until you There multiply are times a few 365 options days but and personally, then the extra we use energy sugar consumption or wheat sheets becomes fabricated obvious. out of sugar cane and wheat waste process. Alternatively, there is an option to buy paper from recycled paper which is also a great option. The price is roughly the same as regular paper but it is a significant easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and claiming more points for certain green certifications. Simple Tip (mobility) 4: COFFEE OPTION Purchase Laptops instead of desktops (When desktop becomes obsolete) Allow workers to work at different desks Shut off desktop at night (No sleep mode)
COFFEE COMPUTER OPTION MANAGEMENT Most of us are aware about printing issues. They usually occur when people print things twice or more copies than are needed. Sometimes the printer or copier does not perform like we expect and waste ink and paper. Thankfully, today almost all paper can be eliminated. Obviously, we still need paper in some cases and this is not about becoming paperless This new trend but rather of acquiring reducing (or paper renting) use a by single up to cup 80%. coffee There machine are many is very ways tempting to do so: as it personalized a coffee for every individual. It is very convenient but also very energy intensive, 1. Downloadable highly wasteful link and instead ridiculously of printouts expensive for presentations compared to other alternatives. It is so bad for 2. Set the printer environment to double that sided the inventor printing himself (John Sylvan) regrets creating it. 3. Get the work approved before printing the final version In 2014, 4. so Do many not print cups every have been email use in Canada alone, that lining up all the cups would circle the 5. earth Save everything 10 times. That important count is on only a cloud for one based year.2 server This is literally an environmental 6. Systematize catastrophe your processes in an age where the world is gathering and collaborating to desperately 7. Subscribe find a solution to epost to (Electronic climate change. postage service Canada & USA) 8. Many more. Fortunately, alternative options are available. Encouraging people to brew their own Another coffee and way home to reduce and educating costs and them footprint about is the by using impact refillable of single printer cup cartridges. coffee machine It costs as about they might a third use of it the at home. price to Bring have back them the refilled old coffee and save maker a lot and of fill plastic the cupboards from either with landfilecycling organic / fair trade facilities. coffee This and is tea. a very easy approach to take which will have only positive results. If you already have one of the many available single cup coffee machine, a few companies The are now last thing selling that refillable will assure cups maximizing in which any this type initiative of coffee is to can purchase be refilled paper and made reused from by product. countless There times are using a few the options organic but and personally, fair trade coffee we use newly sugar available or wheat for sheets staff fabricated to out consume. of sugar cane and wheat waste process. Alternatively, there is an option to buy paper from recycled paper which is also a great option. The price is roughly the same as regular paper but it is a significant easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and claiming more points for certain green certifications. Simple Tip 5: USE TAP WATER Avoid single cup coffee machine Already have one? Purchase a refillable cup to be reused Buy organic and fair trade coffee & tea
USE COMPUTER TAP WATER MANAGEMENT Most of us are aware about printing issues. They usually occur when people print things twice or more copies than are needed. Sometimes the printer or copier does not perform like we expect and waste ink and paper. Thankfully, today almost all paper can be eliminated. Obviously, we still need paper in some cases and this is not about becoming The water bottle industry is selling billions of dollars of water every year which represent paperless but rather reducing paper use by up to 80%. There are many ways to do so: $13 billions in the U.S. alone. On a global scale, the bottled water industry delivers 74.7 billion gallons (281 billion liters) to the population with China and the United States as the 1. Downloadable link instead of printouts for presentations biggest markets with increasing consumption annually.3 Not a bad industry for something 2. Set printer to double sided printing available for free any North American cities. 3. Get the work approved before printing the final version 4. Do not print every email It is estimated that in the U.S. alone, over 50 billion plastic bottles are dumped in the landfill 5. Save everything important on a cloud based server annually not considering the recycled ones. A study done in 2006 showed that it required 6. Systematize your processes over 17 million barrels of oil to produce the plastic bottle for the American industry alone 7. Subscribe to epost (Electronic postage service Canada & USA) excluding transportation costs and GHG emissions. Since 2006, we have seen an increase of 8. Many more. 6.2% to the last recorded data in 2014 which continues to go up. Another way to reduce costs and footprint is by using refillable printer cartridges. It costs In order to reduce this astonishing number, simple actions must be taken and it starts at the about a third of the price to have them refilled and save a lot of plastic from either landfills office. Most offices will be equipped with one or many water coolers for employee to refill or recycling facilities. This is a very easy approach to take which will have only positive their cups. There is also a tendency to keep individual bottled water in the kitchen fridge for results. guest or employees, all this bottled water used it 500% more expensive than drinking tap water. Switching to tap water will not only reduce your drinking water expenses but The last thing that will assure maximizing this initiative is to purchase paper made from by eliminate it. If you reside in an area where tap water can be questionable, water filters are product. There are a few options but personally, we use sugar or wheat sheets fabricated available in many stores or can be provided by a third-party company for minimal fee out of sugar cane and wheat waste process. Alternatively, there is an option to buy paper including the installation. When implementing this new initiative, we suggest to provide from recycled paper which is also a great option. The price is roughly the same as regular every employee with a new stainless steel water bottle for them to use, refill and reuse over paper but it is a significant easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and claiming more and over again from the tap (or filtered tap). points for certain green certifications. Remove all water cooler and bottled water from the office Optionally replace water cooler with tap filter system Provide every staff a new stainless steel water bottle
Bonus Simple Tip: Sustainable Investments It would be a mistake omitting to talk about responsible investment as part of greening an office. Every organization in this global economy has the power to invest its money where they believe is best suited for their personal returns. The most used strategy is visibly the highest return-oninvestment (ROI) regardless of where the money has been invested in. Fortunately, in the last few years, amazing investments products have hit the market allowing investors to invest their money in places that is aligned with their values without losing any financial gains. These financials companies made it easier to green your office. How do investments and office relate you may ask? It is quite simple especially for a service based company. The organization is generating profits which is managed by the executives. These profits can still be used towards positive global impacts also counting for the company s corporate social responsibility performance. Be aware though, many financial firms will be using the term responsible investment to market their product while their product might have many flaws. It is your responsibility to find the right advisor to make it simple for you to understand and make sure that you are investing in what you believe in while obtaining the expected returns. In few cases, firms have been able to reduce their portfolio GHG emission by as much as 70%. This can then be used for company data, marketing and CSR reports. Diverse sustainable options can be found such as: - Responsible investing o Uses a negative screening approach - Impact investing o Aims on social or environmental impact projects - Fossil Free o Eliminates all oil & gas companies and related industries - Others o Please contact us for more information Choose a financial firm that offers a variety of responsible Investments Choose the type of responsible investment that works best for you Act by investing money according to your values
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Following graduation of International Business at the University of Ottawa and Sustainable Business Leadership from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Maxime has founded LeadingAhead with the objective of creating a sustainable economy system while improving social and environmental corporate performance. As he always had a business and environmental mindset, Max has found a way to mix the two and help other using their business and investments as power for change. Maxime now realizes his dream of helping companies achieving their sustainability objectives while assisting investors towards the right responsible investments that best suits their values. Recently, he has been a delegate at the Leading Change Canada part of the international sustainability Globe Conference as well as guest speaker to diverse Chambers of Commerce and CEO Forums. Maxime is also passionate about the outdoors where he recharges to keep a consistent high energy level. Whether it is trail running, mountain or road biking, backcountry skiing, hiking or simply walking along the seawall with his family, he will always be up for the next adventure. Leadingahead.com