The planet needs us to change our habits urgently, putting its care within our priorities in all areas of our lives. For this reason, it is important that we take care of the environment from work, just as we do in our own home. We spend a large part of the day working and many of the actions we take directly affect the planet.
Experts in the field explain that the planet is damaged and that if we do not act soon, it will be too late. Therefore, it is essential that we learn to make small big changes in our daily activities that help create a better world. Take note to make your company a sustainable and Earth-friendly place.
LIGHTING
Think about the place where you work and all the rooms you have between the workplace, the bathrooms, warehouses or the different offices. Unless natural light is enough, all these spaces are illuminated with artificial light. If sunlight is enough, open blinds and windows and enjoy this lighting, it is better for the environment, but it is also good for your eyes and head.
Always choose LED bulbs, as they have a longer useful life than traditional lighting, they are safer as they do not contain any toxic elements and do not put you at risk of causing burns, among others. In addition, they are recyclable in any local waste facility. Finally, something basic but that many people forget: When leaving a room, turn off the light if they remain empty.
WATER
Water is an essential but scarce commodity, affecting more than 40% of the world’s population, and every year this number increases due to climate change. The installation of taps with a timer is a solution that is usually proposed in big companies but the best option is the conscious responsibility of each person: close the tap when you are finished. To achieve this, a proposal would be to post posters remembering a responsible use or send some emails so that the whole team is aware of the importance of not wasting water. Also detecting leaky taps and plugging them, monitor water pressure by installing regulators or installing filtered water fountains.
TEMPERATURE
Achieving a good temperature in the workspace begins with proper insulation. In this way, the use of air conditioning through devices such as air conditioning or heating, will be fairer and more respectful with the environment, saving energy. Think that air conditioning emits CO2 into the atmosphere, aggravating the problem of global warming.
TURN OFF
Assimilate the habit of turning off an electronic device when you finish using it, even if you think it will be used later, it is a very simple proposal that does a lot for the planet. Look around you and notice how many electrical appliances are plugged in without being used. Even when they are at rest, they are consuming energy.
RECYCLE
As we said at the beginning of this article, many hours are spent at work and a lot of waste is generated with the material that is used, at meal times, at rest or when going to the bathroom. It is important to place recycling containers with the colors according to each type of waste and indicators so that all workers give it the correct use.
PRINTER
Before using the printer, ask yourself if there is an alternative to not having to use paper and ink. An example would be that, instead of printing calendars, everything could be planned from an app or using “digital paper”. If there is no viable solution, choose to print double-sided and only the pages you need. Another tip is that when you write your document, avoid choosing a wide line spacing or too big a font, since that means a lot of printed pages.
About ink or toner cartridges, choose those that are 100% recyclable and / or recycled to reduce the polluting impact. Currently, there are brands committed to the environment that sell cartridges created with materials that reduce environmental impact. Other brands sell them rechargeable. Both options are a double advantage, ecology and savings.