| The need to go green is on everyone's mind at | | | | produce every month. |
| the moment. And while at home we may be | | | | If your company provides tea, coffee, milk and |
| virtuously recycling waste and taking our reusable | | | | sugar, ask your manager to think about switching |
| bags to the shops, at the office it can be a | | | | to a fair-trade brand. This means that the people |
| different story - it can be a hotbed of | | | | creating the product are receiving a fair wage for |
| eco-unfriendly sins. | | | | their work, and that they have suitable conditions |
| The path to a green conscious is easy - a little | | | | to work in. |
| effort makes a huge difference. To ensure the | | | | On the subject of milk, you may like to go local |
| company you work for is as green as possible, it's | | | | and support your nearest dairy. Although the milk |
| important to get colleagues involved in greening | | | | round is dying out, they do still exist. This way |
| over the office. Send round an emailed memo | | | | you can have fresh milk delivered daily. If it's in |
| with a list of ideas for everyone to follow. | | | | glass bottles, even better, as these will be |
| Paper waste is one of the biggest culprits of a | | | | recycled. |
| burgeoning carbon footprint. Encourage everyone | | | | Busy offices receive lots of deliveries throughout |
| to print on both sides ofpaper, by altering the | | | | the day, and this in itself can create unnecessary |
| settings on the printer. Also, do you really need to | | | | packing waste. Speak to the supplier, and find out |
| print everything? An online backup is more secure | | | | if they are willing to have the packaging materials |
| than paper-based filing systems, and more | | | | returned to them for reuse or recycling. Packaging |
| eco-friendly. | | | | suppliers are becoming more aware of their need |
| By selecting your suppliers carefully, you can also | | | | to support the environment, so may be open to |
| make environmentally friendly choices. Take a | | | | this. |
| closer look at your packaging supplier, stationery | | | | Consider how people get to the office. It's not |
| company and travel provider. Do they offer | | | | uncommon for the entire office to travel to work |
| recycled and recyclable options for paper-based | | | | in their cars, with just one person in each. You |
| materials? Are the dyes used non toxic? | | | | could set up a car-share scheme. Employees can |
| Check out their websites too, as you should be | | | | group together, and take it in turns to drive. This |
| able to find out more about their own | | | | initiative will save both carbon emissions and |
| commitment to the environment. Find a supplier | | | | money on petrol. |
| whose corporate social responsibility policy closely | | | | So, now you can see how it's possible to |
| matches your own. | | | | make-over your office with minimal effort. Speak |
| Next, pay a visit to the staff kitchen. If you're still | | | | to your packaging supplier, your local dairy and, of |
| using plastic cups, which are thrown away after | | | | course, your colleagues, so you can all pull |
| one use, stop. Ask colleagues to bring in their own | | | | together and do your bit for protecting the |
| mug, and provide some for visitors. This will | | | | environment. |
| drastically cut back on the volume of waste you | | | | |