Last September 10, the Journal of Organizational Behavior published the findings of UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability regarding employees in eco-friendly organizations. According to the study, employees are more 16{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab} productive when their offices are engaged in green standards and practices.
Engage everyone in the office to go green. Green spaces + green employees + Green Businesses = Great!
Even without the study we’re pretty sure that green spaces and practices really do something positive for the morale of everyone concerned. Still, it’s nice to have things confirmed and reinforced for us. Two other independent studies in fact, one in 2008 by Kenaxa Research Institute and the other in 2011 by the University of Massachusetts-Darmouth, have similar findings: that employees are generally happier when they work for a company dedicated to sustainability and green practices. So that means it’s not really about the money all the time, people place importance on social responsibility too.
And knowing that the company they work for is committed to green living, employees are bound to trust their bosses more, feel more fulfilled, inspired, and hence productive.
Turning everyone in the office green makes a lot sense. Greening is a continuous process, and shouldn’t stop at achieving LEED certification for the building or office space. Remember, part of LEED is the sustainable operation of a building, and here everyone is involved. Of course, engaging everyone in the green agenda shouldn’t be a mandatory rule or else employees will find the new setup stifling. Introduce the new green policy in the office by educating everyone and allotting an adjustment period.
No doubt you’re already familiar with many of the green practices below, but they’re always worth mentioning again. These are green office tips and advices applicable to both employees and their bosses.
Green Office Tips on:
Transportation
- Bike to work! (It’s healthier and way cooler than driving around in a humongous SUV)
- Drive hybrid and smaller vehicles.
- Designate days of carpooling with your officemates.
- Try commuting too.
- Telecommuting is a good option too, especially for work that can be done at home anyway.
Lunches
- Bring lunches to work.
- Package your lunch as minimally as possible. Less things to throw away, the better.
- Say no to bottled water or canned sodas.
- Bring a reusable mug for coffee refills. Ban disposable paper cups.
- Rethink your coffee; demand a sustainably grown and fair trade cup of java.
- Insist on washable plates, spoons and forks, and glasses at the office cafeteria.
- Start serving more organic and local foods at the cafeteria as much as possible.
Paper and Ink
- Print on both sides. (Let the tech guy in the office teach everyone how to configure this.)
- Think twice before crumpling paper and tossing it in the trash. Reuse the other side.
- Use reusable paper clips instead of staple wires.
- Ditch to-do lists on paper. Consider productivity to-do list apps on your smartphones.
- Use a shared printer.
- Install the printer at the back where employees will have to walk to get to it, making them think twice about printing.
- You don’t have to print out emails.
- Decide if you must really print in color, or if plain black-&-white (which uses less ink) will do.
- Use remanufactured ink cartridges.
- Use post-consumer recycled content paper; they’re still just as bright as virgin paper.
Electricity
- Make it a habit to switch the lights off when leaving a room.
- Unplug unused appliances when not in use.
- Instead of using screensavers, set the PC to hibernate or sleep when you’re away for more than ten minutes.
- Invest in a smart power strip to avoid vampire energy.
- The next time you buy office equipment, look for the Energy Star rating to ensure energy consumption is at its lowest possible.
Waste
- Install separate bins for biodegradable waste and recyclables such as cans, plastic bottles, ink cartridges.
- Ask the management to coordinate with the building officials to start a compost program. (Shredded paper goes to the compost.)
- You don’t always have to buy new office supplies and knick knacks.
- At the end of the year, gather old and used stuff you no longer need to donate to institutions.
Air
- Have potted plants inside the room, preferably drought-resistant ones that don’t need watering too often like pothos and mother-in-law’s tongue.
- Encourage employees to bring their own potted plants as well.
- Insist on operable windows that can be opened periodically to let fresh air in.
- Change the air filters
- Use only non-toxic cleaners for the office to safeguard the health of the cleaning staff and everyone else.
- Ditch chemical air fresheners and artificial fragrances.
- (More on how to Maintain Good Indoor Air Quality)
Miscellaneous Greening
- Enlist everyone in the office to suggest more innovative green office tips.
- For birthdays and other celebrations, make the party as eco-friendly as possible.
- Encourage employees to volunteer for green causes outside of work, and give them day-offs as necessary.
- Reward green efforts by employees. (e.g. those who carpool get a shaded spot in the office parking lot.
- Consider a four-day workweek.
- Spread the green message beyond the office walls.
Now that everyone in the office is green, hopefully they’ll influence their families and friends to get in on the green act as well. Nice, right?
