Making your workplace into a more eco-friendly space doesn’t require a huge budget, nor does it take a tonne of effort. But the rewards for doing so are priceless when it comes to the health and social consciousness of your team, and even the reputation of your business. Here are our top 5 tips on how to make your workplace more eco-friendly:
Inspiring your staff to make simple changes to their workstation and workday practices can be an easy way to get the ball rolling towards and eco-friendly office. Educating staff on what changes they can make is the first step. Encourage better recycling practices through centralised placement of divided bins and signage. Give your staff creative freedom to design their own eco-friendly workstations and set a budget per team member so they can make the switch to eco-friendly supplies and equipment. Have a “green thumb” in your team? Allow them to implement a compost bin in the kitchen. Encourage staff to turn off lights and computers before they leave the office. And most importantly lead by example.
Make it as easy as possible for yourself and your team to achieve your desired eco-friendly office. Review your office technology, kitchen equipment, and waste management practices – initiating an upgrade to more energy efficient or planet friendly alternatives where possible. A simple switch, such as replacing all of your existing light globes to more energy-efficient Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) globes can drastically reduce the amount of money and greenhouse emissions spent on illuminating your office. Look into any government or local incentives that offer support for making the transition to more sustainable equipment or practices. Your professional offer cleaning company should also be able to help review waste management and cleaning practices, to better support your desire to improve the eco-friendliness of your office space.
Ask your team to get creative and come up with 3 ideas each month on how to improve the eco-friendliness of your office space. Reward the best idea each month, and the one that has had the most success since implementation the previous month. Rewards don’t have to be extravagant or expensive, and often open recognition and praise will be enough to show your tea, you appreciate their efforts. However, little rewards go a long way, and you can further your progress towards your “green” goal at the same time by putting an eco-friendly spin on each reward. It may be as simple as a personalised reusable coffee cup or as grand as a new coffee machine for the kitchen (with biodegradable pods of course).
Now you’ve got the hang of smaller changes and your team is on board, what changes could you make on a bigger scale? Could your office go entirely paperless? Can you lobby your building manager to upgrade to more energy efficient heating and cooling systems, or challenge neighbouring businesses to also switch over their office lighting to CFL globes, helping to reduce your buildings greenhouse emissions one floor at a time? Why not ask your professional office cleaners for an environmental impact assessment of all cleaning equipment, supplies, and processes used in your office, and request they switch to greener alternatives? Be the change you want to see in the world.
Chances are you’re already paying for a professional office cleaning service, but are your office cleaners doing everything they can to support your goal of an eco-friendlier workplace? Investing in knowledgeable office cleaning professionals who are experienced in the use of “green” products, processes, and equipment is an important step towards this goal. Quality professional cleaners will be up-to-date on the latest eco-friendly industry products and procedures, and will be able to guide you and your team toward better everyday practices, as well as ensuring they follow through with this approach when servicing your office space. If you feel like your office cleaning company isn’t quite up to the task or you’re met with resistance when you make such an enquiry, it may be time to switch cleaners.
Keen to Clean currently service a variety of environmentally-conscious commercial office clients in the Melbourne CBD and surrounds, including North Melbourne, South Melbourne, Docklands, Southbank, Carlton, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, Cremorne, South Yarra, Prahran, Port Melbourne, Armadale, Dandenong, Bayswater, Glen Iris, Oakleigh, St Kilda, Brunswick, Essendon, Clifton Hill, and Cheltenham. We pride ourselves on helping our clients make positive, eco-friendly changes to their workplaces. If you’d like to know more about how our experienced and knowledgeable cleaning professionals can help make your workplace more eco-friendly, get in touch with us today for more information and a free quote for our commercial cleaning services.
