When you work in government, you understand that change takes time. Bureaucracy isn’t a quick and easy process.
Unfortunately, sometimes there are issues that demand faster change, and the world struggles to keep up. Climate change is one such issue. Government agencies can’t fix climate change overnight, but they can be leaders when it comes to adopting sustainable office spaces. Here are three ways you can help your office promote environmental sustainability right away.
1. Help Your Coworkers Commute Smarter
Before your coworkers even set foot in the office, you can adopt measures to reduce greenhouse gases. Set up office carpools by creating a sign-up sheet and putting it in a visible place in the office. Carpools reduce fossil fuel emissions by lowering the number of vehicles on the road. They also save employees money by lowering the number of times they need to fuel their car. Encourage coworkers to bike to work if they live close enough, or to take public transit.
2. Build an Office Culture around Reducing Energy Consumption
Remind your coworkers to turn off unnecessary lights, to take advantage of natural light during the day, and to shut off computers at the end of the day. Office buildings are notorious for taxing energy grids during the summer months with excessive air conditioning. Perhaps you can convince your facility manager to invest in energy efficient thermostats. If not, you can provide coworkers with alternatives to using space heaters to combat their frigid office, like providing office blankets.
3. Buy Remanufactured or Refurbished Furniture for the Office
Typically, creating a more sustainable office space feels like a slow process. Most suppliers take 6-8 weeks. But, if you work with Envirotech, the entire delivery process can be completed in as fast as 3 weeks. Envirotech can even remove any old office furniture and ensure that the furniture is reused through our refurbish and remanufacture program.
When you’re put in charge of sourcing new chairs or workstations at the office, you can buy remanufactured or refurbished furniture instead of new, keeping your office furniture a part of the circular economy.
A lot of office materials end up in landfills, but buying refurbished or remanufactured products saves parts from landfills and gives them a second life. On top of the environmental benefits, remanufactured and refurbished furniture is significantly less expensive than buying new. Buying environmentally responsible furniture that saves taxpayer money is a win-win for any government office.