The worlds oceans are reaching a crisis point as plastic waste is having a calamitous effect on marine ecosystems. Landfill sites are overflowing and there is a worrying threat looming that we’re reaching a breaking point. A recent study by Opinium Research has reported that Britons throw away 55.5 billion plastic items per year, yet when asked, 90% of people quizzed said they were worried about the impact plastics are having on the environment. Luckily, there are more and more ways we can be ‘greener’ and do our bit to be more environmentally friendly.
And being green doesn’t have to stop at home. There are so many ways businesses can be more environmentally friendly and it can make a real difference.
Reuse and Recycle
- Up-cycle office furniture or buy second hand
- Place a paper recycling box next to a printer to encourage use
- Recycle or refurbish PCs, devices and machines
- Recycle empty ink and cartridges. Some companies will pick up empty cartridges from your office for free
- Invest in good recycling bins and clearly label
- Remove personal bins
Paper, Printing and Procurement
- Purchase recycled paper to print on to
- Print on both sides of the paper
- Purchase eco-friendly envelopes
- Print less. Internal communications don’t need to be printed
- Source the least environmentally damaging goods
- Purchase cleaning products that don’t contain toxic substances
- Use only refillable pens. The US alone throw away 4 million pens per day
- Find couriers who commit to carbon-neutral deliveries
Employee Encouragement
- Turn lights off in the office or board rooms when not in use
- Use less paper towels
- Turn off PC’s when not in use, especially at night
- Take sandwiches to work in a reusable container, not a sandwich bag
- Car share or promote Cycle to Work schemes
- Use real mugs, glasses, cutlery and crockery rather than disposables
- Have at least one large plant in your office (great for recycling air)
At EBM, we do all we can in the office to reduce our impact on the environment, plus, advise our customers where they can do the same.
You can read of our full environmental policy here.