Resolutions for a more ecofriendly office.

How can we make our office more ecofriendly on 2020?

Well, the holidays are over and we’re all returning to work. This 2020 it’s time to start thinking about how we can save the planet and to start looking at ways to green your office and get everyone behind the cause while you’re at it. Here are some simple and sustainable New Year resolutions to bring into your office or organization in 2020. 

Implement a recycling program

One standard way of supporting mindfulness around sustainability is to establish a recycling program within your office. From the kitchen area to your workspaces, provide education on responsible waste disposal through clear signage on designated waste stations to help your people distinguish between what items belong in recycling, compost, and in the trash bin.

You can also look into the safe removal and donation of old computer parts and other items unnecessarily taking up space in your workplace to a local organization supporting the ethical recycling of electronics.

Conserve energy within the office

Turning off the lights and switching off electronic equipment around the office during off-hours will help to conserve energy resources as well as save your company a significant amount on your electric bill. Ensure that your workplace has communicated your policy around reducing energy consumption at their desks and around the office and provide suggestions such as shutting off their computers at the end of the work day and keeping the lights off when a meeting room is not in use.

While computers are essential to the day-to-day running of an organization, they’re also a major energy vampire. Start switching off your monitor when going to lunch or meetings (screensavers do not save energy) and set up a hibernation feature so your computer can automatically conserve energy when it is inactive for more than several minutes. Try remembering to unplug devices from charging before leaving the office. 

Support green vendors

Opt to do business with green-friendly brands and companies. Conduct research into vendors of interest to learn more about their sustainability efforts and see if they align with your company’s own vision and values regarding environmental impact. 

Reduce by reusing

Annually, Canadians use approximately 1.6 to 2 billion disposable coffee cups. Discourage this wasteful habit from your employees by encouraging the use of reusable coffee mugs, along with reusable water bottles. You can promote this initiative in office by offering company merchandise items such as travel mugs and stainless steel water bottles, and also by incentivizing the program by doing a monthly gift card draw for team members who use their reusable mugs for an entire week. 

Coffee cups are not accepted through general recycling collections, and most are destined to end up in landfill. Worse yet, then often contaminate the commingled and paper streams, dooming them to the same fate. Make a resolution in your office to bring reusable cups to work and reusable water bottles.

Encourage sustainable transportation

Support your team members in taking alternative modes of transportation to and from the office—such as walking or carpooling with fellow colleagues—during the work week.

​Your company can offer transit subsidies to employees who commute to work as a benefit. Additionally, if it is not mandatory for your people to be in the office from Monday to Friday, consider cutting out their commute time during the week by allowing employees to do remote work from home on occasion.

Make green thinking a key part of your company culture

Include your employees in your environmental vision by getting them engaged and involved. Talk to and collaborate with your team members to gather their ideas for how your organization can go green and be more environmentally conscious in the workplace. Getting input from your employees will allow them the opportunity to embody and embrace your new mission and goals.

Ownership in change seems to be the best way to embed sustainability into your office culture. If you already have a green team in your workplace, then go one step further and try to start a building-wide green team. Your green team can champion workplace sustainability goals by kick starting an in-office recycling program, or spearheading a waste or energy audit, which can be used to help set goals for the year ahead. The green team can also be key advocates in communicating sustainability changes to your colleagues is important for bringing them on the journey with you, and for the eventual success of your initiatives.

Demonstrating a real commitment to sustainability is good for business, allows your organization to differentiate their products, services and brand and most importantly, will make a real impact on the environment.

Do your organization, yourself and the planet a favour and start ticking off these resolutions today.

OUR STATEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT

Executive Building Maintenance is based on ethical practices and customer-focused solutions. The very nature of our business allows us to impact our stakeholders in a positive way through our environmental commitment. It is no longer sufficient for Executive Building Maintenance to simply comply with environmental laws and standards. As an ethical organization, we are proactive in our commitment to the environment through our choice of suppliers and through our self-imposed, continuous pursuit of practices that eliminate or reduce the use (and disposal) of hazardous materials. We take steps to minimize our own waste production.

Serving the entire Lower Mainland of British Columbia, offering high-quality janitorial work, specialized window cleaning, intensive carpet and floor care, pressure washing and various other cleaning requests as specified by our customer's individual needs.

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