To safeguard the Earth and its resources from harsh climatic changes everyone needs to be involved. From the way we travel to the way we eat, everyone needs to be conscious about how our actions affect the environment.
In this article, you’re going to learn the top five eco-friendly trends to be implemented in a modern workplace.
The workplace has a great influence on the environment. Studies suggest that the worldwide paper usage surpassed 411 million metric tons since 2016.
When you think about the costs of energy, toner, and labor it’s no doubt the modern workplace needs to eco-friendly. Besides, the UN predicts paper usage to go up by 50%.
The impact the workplace has on the environment cannot be underestimated. That’s why it’s important to embrace sustainable practices in the workplace.
Keep reading to learn more
What’s an eco-friendly workplace?
An eco-friendly workplace is one that embraces sustainable practices that protect the environment.
This involves the use of green lighting; building of energy-efficient walls, etc.
Reasons for implementing eco-friendly best practices
Typically, implementing sustainable practices can be costly so it’s easy to wonder why offices should go green; nevertheless, the long-term benefits outshine the costs of implementing eco-friendly workplaces.
Here are a few benefits of going green in the workplace.
An eco-friendly workplace saves money
Undeniably, it’s costly to embrace an eco-friendly workplace. Nevertheless, maintaining an eco-friendly office is less costly.
When you consider the amount saved on heating and cooling as a result of energy-efficient walls and flooring, the long-term benefits are way too high.
Think about it. The cost of LED energy-savings bulbs is high than the traditional ones. However, their energy savings can save the company a lot of money.
An eco-friendly workplace is a healthy and happier place
Building eco-friendly workplaces mean embracing natural light, improving airflow, and create a pleasant work environment.
Studies suggest that workplaces with windows expose workers to 173% natural light during the day which gives them an average of 46 more sleep time at night.
That said, here are the top eco-friendly trends of a modern workplace.
Minimize Storage
It’s not easy to think about the impact storage has on the environment but figure out this; most storage areas in the workplace are made with metal. For instance, the cabinets where workers store their documents.
While they last longer and give the office a pleasant look, their production has a huge carbon effect on the planet.
To go green, offices should change to wood cabinets that have minor carbon impact on the environment.
Besides, paper printing also has a huge carbon impact. The best way for offices to go green is by adopting online storage for company documents and files as done by twiftnews website.
Energy Conservation
The way companies use energy can impact the environment as well. Just take a stroll through most corporate offices and you will be shocked to see how workers forget to switch off lights in their meeting rooms or how computers are left on during lunch break.
Always ensure all lights are turned off and computers switched off when not in use.
The good thing with modern computers is that they have auto-switch off settings you can set up so that the machine can power off if it remains idle for a while.
Also, consider switching off heating equipment during the night. 3. Change the Type of Page Used in Offices
Even if workplaces are encouraged to switch to online storage, there comes a time when it’s necessary to have printed documents.
Consider using recycled papers instead. 
Besides, recycled papers are less costly than non-recycled ones.
Another way to keep an eco-friendly workplace is to have recycling bins where all the trash can be placed instead of littering everywhere. Also, consider encouraging workers to reuse papers. For instance, they could write notes at the back of already used papers which reduces the environmental impact of the paper and saves the company a lot of money in the long run.
Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products
Eco-friendly and biodegradable cleaning products are known to be less destructive to the environment.Besides, using them saves the company money in the long run.
Another huge benefit of biodegradable cleaning products is that they don’t interfere with workers’ health.
Most of the cleaning products produced in larger quantities are made with plastics and the impactthey have on the environment is extremely huge.
Use Green Products for Cleaning the Workplace
Most of the cleaning products used in offices are made with chemicals that have a long-term impact on the environment no matter whether their labels say they are environmentally friendly.
Consider using pre-made cleaning products that use non-toxic ingredients such as water, vinegar, essential oils, and many others when cleaning the floor.
Indoor pollution affects the environment. You may also consider buying indoor plants that help to purify the air and maximize oxygen circulation in the workplace.
Your Turn
As you can see, everyone has to protect the Earth and its resources. At the workplace, workers can help their companies in reducing the environmental impact they have.
See, implementing a few of these few trends in the workplace could make a huge change.
What eco-friendly practices has your workplace implemented? Share them by leaving a comment right below.
