Go green office ideas AND greening of offices have cause – effect relationship. The latter comes up if you apply the former.
On the face, however majority of you might mistake greening your office with the only notion of raising green plants in and around your office. To certain measures, I was also under similar impressions until I happened to attend a Video conferencing session on Greening of Offices at NCH, Mumbai. Only afterwards, I was able to break down the whole concept into green offices ideas with wider realms. The go green office ideas are gaining mass attention to the advantage of humanity.
Greening Offices and the Institution Behind Green Office Ideas
In fact, the training on Greening of Offices was conducted by NACIN Faridabad in collaboration with ICED (International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development) Jaipur. It was a 4 days training workshop starting from August 27th, 2018. Hon’ble chairman, CBIC inaugurated the training workshop at 1000hrs on 27.08.2018 via Video Conferencing. The inauguration was attended by the Chief Commissioner, Commissioners & several departmental officers from zone-I, Mumbai Customs. The officers on the other end of VC made presence from all across India representing various NACINs and zones of Customs & CGST.
Basically, ICED (International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development) Jaipur functions under O/O Comptroller and auditor General of India. The CAG is also the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of India and forms part of a larger global institution named International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). So, in a way, INTOSAI has a bearing on ICED Jaipur also.
Why Customs in the Middle of Greening of Offices?
Indian Customs is a large organization with offices spread across India. The organization is a signatory to Green Customs, enforcing the acts and laws of cross border trade that ensures unharming sustainable trade. The organization prevents flow of goods causing harm to flora, fauna and humanity in general. Green Customs although does not stand for greening of Offices but can be seen as an aspect of wider green office ideas. Green Customs Practices prevents trade of material causing hazard, garbage, toxins and puts strict check on illegal trade of endangered species of vegetation and living beings. The green office ideas outreach encompasses all this. Thus, Customs already working on green practices can think of bringing the green ideas to the floor its offices too. And hence, can play vital to a global cause through its offices and larger staff strength.
What is Go Green Office Ideas All about?
Simplistically, green office ideas revolve around “five Rs”: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair and Rethink. So, considering their wider implications into our everyday life, there could be a number of ways to greening of offices. Methodology of “Greening of Office” urges the officials in a way that it creates savings of resources by adopting environmental friendly practices. The work culture, thus benefits your organization as well as the environment. In fact, Office premises consume a lot of Energy and other resources all across world. So, they can play extremely vital in saving energy & resources if they can adopt suitable work culture. Hence, the concept of “green office ideas” are there.
Office Policies are Vital in Office Going Green.
Under an institutionalized guidance, your office can frame policy on its working culture that promotes “5 Rs”. An audit provisions can be in place which would determine which subsection of the entire office performs the best on all the five counts. The divisions/ subdivisions of the office which adhere to 5 Rs and implement better should be incentivized. The sections / subsections should be accorded recognitions regularly, preferably on a quarterly basis. Office policy should consider accommodating every aspect that could mandate the functioning of office in a manner that suits to Go green Office. Few of the listing is here:
Sensible Use of Stationery Can Help Office Going Green Big Time
1. Go Digital & Paperless- Biggest of all Green Office Ideas
In fact, this is my favourite space for green office ideas and I wish everybody takes it so sensibly. My stint in estate department involved hosting a lot of meetings every month. For every meeting, I had instructions from seniors to make folders of agenda points in print outs. Further, these agenda points had to be backed by bulk of printed contents for each participant.
You may not believe that at the end of every meeting, I literally went into a heartache. Yes, my heart cried from deep inside. These folders only made trashes of paper just to be left behind at the end of meeting. In fact, seldom had a person bothered going through these printed contents. More so, never a participant carried them along after meeting.
Can you see these traditional ways of hosting meetings are just causing only waste of stationery? You too, would have felt pain of seeing these folders abandoned on the table after the meetings.
(A) More Potential Space are There to Look For
You must have also marked that distribution of employee manuals in physical form and then issuing their updated printed copies is a sheer wastage of papers and stationery in general.
One more troubling scene that I almost face every day and I am sure you are also a part of, is the wastage of papers when vetting of a note or outgoing letter has to be done at different levels of hierarchy. Draft letters/ notes / contents are normally put up in printouts at each level of hierarchy and even minor correction at each level requires you to take a fresh print out every time. More troubling is the scene when the same authority goes on changing the tone and tenure of the content already once vetted by him/her.
Literally, this is very appalling a scene in the offices and in particular public sector. You can’t imagine the extent of environment hit, such an apathy towards resources causes.
(B) Going Paperless is Absolutely Possible
Would you appreciate if I say it is super easy to stay environment friendly, even when the vetting goes at each level repeatedly? Yes, this is possible if you and your higher ups agree to undertake the vetting and suggest corrections electronically.
Logically, it is not always necessary to print out a meeting agenda for every member. A wiser move instead, could be that, you can incorporate bullet points into a slide show, or simply send it via WhatsApp and email. And, if print out is so required, only one person should carry the printed version of material available in soft.
Computer system, Internet and cloud are already part of major offices, including public sector units. Only requirement is that the higher ups should do away with their egos of suggesting corrections on print outs only. The paperless vetting can help office going green, save the nature and time also. The time saved can be used in other productive assignments.
To make greening of offices a reality, digital storage devices and good internet services can be a consistent need. But, it is too low a price to help office going green.
2. Ruling Out Waste in Printing
Yes, this is one of the hits of green office ideas. You must have discovered that the document you print sometimes contain only a one-line web address at the bottom. The major part of the paper remains blank for no content available for printing entire space. You can make use of software like GreenPrint and EcoPrint2 which can identify those areas of waste in printing. They alert you of possible wasted space, and recommend how to rule out the same.
3. Using Environmentally Friendly Paper
This go green office idea can help you damaging less to environment even if, you need paper. You could insist on chlorine-free paper, and look for post-consumer recycled content. Additionally, you can also look for paper which are made by more sustainable substances like bamboo, hemp, or organic cotton etc.
4. Keeping the database of emails Updated
Seemingly insignificant this green office tips can be very effective measure for greening of offices. Although, its small but an effective tip in bringing down print outs in your offices. So, you can keep your mailing list up to date, use emails and avoid sending printed letters. This does not only save paper, but also printing, postage and time and helps office going green.
5. Optimized Setting in Photocopier and Printer
By making certain tweaks in your photocopier and Printer you can save lot on Prints, colours, papers and stationery. The result of which is that you are heading for an office going green.
You can take help of technician in tweaking the functionality of the photocopier and printer which defaults back to single copy mode. So that every time devices are used, they are again reset to yield only one. You should also consider setting them to print double-sided by default. Additionally, you can make their default setting as Black & White to you save on resources. Together, everything can help your office going green.
6. Using Smaller and Unbold Fonts
Although not one of the revolutionary green office ideas, it helps to your end. Reasonably, smaller fonts and lesser use of Boldened Fonts can save paper. I am sure you will not want to make your colleague employees blind. But then, keeping the font size in documents reasonably small can save you reams of paper in long run.
Office Supplies with Go Green Office Ideas
7. Promote Stocking of Reusable Pens
Normally, you feel elated with “write and throw” kind of pens. But this outlook of yours is contrary to the actual theme of go green office. On account of this casual approach, millions of disposable pens are trashed into garbage bins every day in India. Thus, instead you should consider stocking the office with reusable pens. You can stock the supplies cupboard only with refills for these pens. To make this a reality, you can consider issuing the pen to an employee with a specific number. Where losing a pen should correspond to loosing some point for appraisals and collecting lost pens to gaining in points. This go green office idea can also save your office a lot of money too.
8. Keeping the Supply Cupboard Under Supervision
Keeping supply cabinet under supervision can help your office going green. This can help you conserve a lot of supplies. You may like circulating the message that if the office staff help you conserve the supplies, a party would be thrown corresponding to savings created. This would help you on two counts viz. ‘going green’ and ‘saving on expenses’. Try to float the process transparent and you will see that people would love supporting you for a go green office.
Buying Office Equipment that helps Office Going Green
9. Explore using Refillable Ink and Toner Cartridges
This is no brainer green office ideas. Although, you may not be aware that remanufactured cartridges not only cost you much less than new ones, but they also help conserving other resources. Resources consumed beyond reasoned extent, only affects the environment. Roughly, each reused cartridge can save about 2.5 pounds of metal & plastic and about 3-4 litres of oil. This is an estimation of resources which is wasted in manufacturing a regular printing cartridge.
10. Buy Energy-Friendly Items Supporting Green Office Ideas
With ample of gadgets to choose from, energy saving versions of office gadgets could be your best bet. This Green office ideas can include many things from Eco button to printer to xerox copier. Mashable has enlisted few devices you can go for their energy saving versions. Fortunately, most of the office electronics carry the Energy Star label, which consume much lesser energy than the standard model. Moreover, many Energy Star-qualified gadgets and devices are intelligent enough to slip into power saving mode automatically right after use. So, choose wisely to promote go green office cause.
11. V3 Compact Fluorescent Bulbs- Doable Green Office Tips
In fact, the compact fluorescent bulbs consume 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and they last about 10 times longer. So, by using them you save on energy costs, replacement bulb costs, and reduce waste. They come in all sizes and wattages, and offer soft sheens that aren’t as garishly fluorescent as their previous counterparts. In India, major offices have started going for this to make greening of offices a reality.
12. LED Lamps- Easy Doable Green Office Ideas
Deploying incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ones and maximizing the daylight in your office leaves still some scope to think. This is where go green office ideas steps in to assist you. You may no longer need as many desk lamps in the office. But even if you need, think going for LED lamps. These lamps consume even less power than compact fluorescent bulbs do.
13. Multi-Purpose Machines Support Green Office Ideas
Buying different device for different piece of work can lead you storing stack of garbage in your office in the long run. Each piece of office equipment you buy produces heaps of toxic substances in both the manufacturing and disposal stages. So, consider having multi-tasking machines that can handle copying, scanning, faxing, and printing and so on. What an idea to greening the office?
14. Think of Second-Hand Gadget
Although it would not be possible always but if you can do with second hand gadgets, you save by-product wastage in the manufacturing of a new device. Do not get tempted by sheer appearance of new appliances. Just think twice if you can do with a second-hand gadget. This move can help you save on money and also promoting the cause of go green office.
Lighting Offices Sensibly Helps office Going Green
15. Using Natural Light in Day Time
As a sensible step for going green office, you must consider using natural lights in the offices, where ever possible in day time. Look for opening the blinds and let daylight in for the office sites possible. This can save your conventional energy considerably and freeing the environment from extra stress.
16. Make Sure to Put off the Lights
As sensible as it gets, you should be extra careful in putting all the lights off, before you leave your office. Power consumed in the night when nobody is in office is by all means a sheer misuse and defeats the very purpose of going green office.
17. Employing Motion Sensors
Motion sensors can come quite handy in judicious lighting of halls and conference rooms. You can think of installing motion-sensitive switches instead expecting employees to turn off lights as they leave rooms. The motion sensitive switches turn the lights on for a set window of time, whenever someone passes in front of the switch or moves about the room. This certainly is unique green office ideas and helps.
18. Paint Inside Wall with Light Colours
Basically, the light wall colours and high-gloss sheens, help reflect the daylight more off the walls. This either eliminates the use of any artificial light or lessens quantum of it needed for proper visibility inside office. Lesser use of artificial light does help you a step forward for going green office.
Working that Promotes Office Going Green
19. Regulate Insensitive Ones to Office Temperature
I have seen many of my colleagues being insensitive to the poor Air-conditioner. Just with some clicks of remote button they mindlessly go on lowering the temperature at one go. And later when somebody steps in tells him/her that it is too cool. Apart from that you might remember many of your colleagues too, who before leaving their cabins in office do not bother to put off the AC. I have seen many of my seniors too, doing this and they are least bothered after their return that they left AC on for so long. An office policy should strictly regulate this by providing for censure to such casual approach by the employees.
20. Telecommute Permission for Employees
Telecommuting is the mode of working from home without affecting the productivity. The Option to work from home is gaining across the corporate multinationals. Telecommuting work culture can enable employees deliver as effectively as in office environment with lot of resources saving. The employees can save huge time otherwise wasted in commuting. It can reduce load on traditional modes of transport. The end effect could be the saving on money, time, public resources and finally lowers stress on environment by polluting lesser.
21. Permitting Casual Dressing
Talking of casual dressing in office might look laughable but, it can be an environment friendly move indeed. In fact, ruling out suits means less of dry cleaning which is only better for the environment. It saves on your finances too. Although, the concept may not be viable for every sector but major offices can look for exploring this possibility.
Efficient Use of Power- Least Use of Power Means Going Green
22. Setting up Default Power Down
It is hard to believe that a huge chunk of total power consumption is done by the machines which are off but still plugged into a live outlet. But it is true. The power consumption by machines in such a stage is unnecessary. So, you should consider eliminating standby power (or phantom power). There are devices you can rope in to automatically power down office machines and computers when not in use.
23. Avoid Using Screen Savers
Screen savers of your office computers can cost you unnecessary energy consumption. You can consider devising an office policy that discourages use of screen savers. In place of Screen Savers you can encourage setting monitors to power off after the same amount of time. Such tweaking is super easy.
24. Explore Max Use of Renewable Energy
Yes, renewable energy could be the best bet in reducing consumption of conventional energy. They are green and clean energy and quite viable options for the geography in tropical regions like India. India especially has subsidy policy in place for setting up Solar Power Plants, you can make use of the provisions. Solar energy option is advantageous in many other ways too. Govt is also incentivizing organizations who are into selling of excess solar power to other bodies.
25. Explore Usage of Portable ACs
Portable air conditioning uses much less of energy than central air conditioning. In case of central air conditioning a lot of energy is wasted in cooling empty boardrooms or unoccupied spaces too. Portables allow you use them where ever you need the cooling. Additionally, the portable ACs allow you to set comfortable temperatures for each individual area. Obviously these portable ACs help offices green by saving you lesser of electricity
Bathrooms & Kitchen- Use Go Green Office Items
26. Replacing Paper Towels
You already know the advantages of cloth napkins and towels in the kitchen. These are sustainable options to the effect of helping go green offices. Even you can consider using cloth towels or hand even in the bathroom. Exploring more places is better for the agenda of going office green.
27. Cutting on Toilet Water Consumption
You cannot ask employees to “hold it.” Instead apply some other ingenuity to lower the consumption of water in Toilets. In fact, toilet flushing is the largest water consumption activity in office buildings.
You can reduce the amount of water used per flush by putting some insoluble solid object inside flush tank. While replacing toilets, look for low-flush models, or the ones with a half-flush option.
28. Using Aerators in Taps
The aerators in the tap ensure low flow of the water and reduce water consumption. Like everything else, water is too precious to be wasted mindlessly. Office policies should ensure all taps have low-flow aerators installed to reduce water wastage.
29. Buy Office Consumables in Bulk
Most often buying in bulk saves you money. This is however only one aspect. In fact, when you buy something in bulk, individual small packing materials are already eliminated. So, in other sense it helps you conserve resources too. Any resource that is spent beyond reason has a scope to be reduced in use. Instead buying individual packets of milk, juice, Water, coffee, creamer, sugar, pepper, salt, jam etc, buy these items in bulk. Use your creativity about using jars or dispensers for these items, helping all to use it easily and hygienically too.
Misc. Approach to Office Going Green
30. Opting for Green Cleaning Products
Today, there are many options of environmentally friendly cleaning products. They do their bit in your agenda of going green office. They are not only safer for health of your cleaning staff but also to your employees. Eliminating harmful substances and odours from the office is always a go green move.
31. Planting Green Plants in and Around Office
Yes, going Green Literally is also one of the simplest green office ideas. Use this notional meaning to going green office also. You can always make your office green literally with plants! Needless to emphasize their importance, the plants make the environment healthy and clean. They absorb airborne pollutants (which are caused by off-gassing office furniture). The plants release healthy negative ions and oxygen into the air promoting good health. Green plants make your office lively and radiate good vibes.
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