With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.
If you’ve installed a domestic water treatment system in your home, you’ve already made the step to reduce the amount of plastic your household produces. But what about your workplace? Here we’ll explore the simple ways that you can reduce your workplace waste for a greener lifestyle and lower carbon footprint.
Avoid Single Use Containers for Guests
Whether you’re meeting a prospective client or entertaining a supplier, the first thing you’re likely to do is offer your guest a drink. Unfortunately, water and drink bottles and boxes will usually end up in the trash. Although you may have good intentions for recycling, the chances are that those half full containers will just get dumped.
So, if you want to reduce your workplace waste, then consider using washable mugs and glasses. Just consider the impression you’ll create by having a glass jug of water or juice on your meeting room table along with sparkling clean glasses rather than countless pieces of single use plastic.
If you want to really wow your guests and create a professional image, why not invest in some branded items. These will not only reduce your waste, but also show your guests that you’re serious about eliminating single use containers and operating a greener business. Just be sure to check that the mugs and glasses before you serve your guests.
Consider Your Drinking Water Quality
As we’ve touched on above, you may have already installed a water treatment system at home to improve your water quality, but what about at work? A water cooler can provide an alternative to single use plastic bottles. Many water treatment systems can be adapted for commercial premises as well. Even a point of use system can allow you to use tap water to serve your guests.
Use Reusable Lunch Containers
Takeout boxes and bags inevitably end up in the trash, so consider using reusable lunch containers. This will also alleviate uneaten food waste and will be a more cost effective way to eat lunch. Although this may take a little more planning than just calling up an order to the local sandwich shop, you can also make healthier choices, as you can plan your lunch menu from home. You can even bring leftovers from home that can be easily heated up. Just be sure that your reusable containers are microwave safe.
Go Paperless
While it is difficult for businesses to go completely paperless, there are some ways that you can easily reduce your paper waste. According to research, if the paper used in a 7,000 worker office building was recycled rather than thrown away, this would add up to the equivalent of 400 cars being kept off the road. You can make a good start by taking paperless notes. There are lots of apps and programs that allow you to easily take notes on a tablet or laptop rather than using a pen and paper. In most cases, those handwritten notes will need to be typed up and shared digitally, so you can miss this step. Taking notes electronically will not only save waste, but also save time. So, before you head into your next meeting, grab your tablet.
This approach can also apply to sending emails rather than circulating paper memos. Most people have a stack of paper memos sat in their inbox that will eventually end up in the trash, but you can eliminate this by using email. Additionally, email will allow you to keep track of any progress, as people respond to the email rather than sending another memo that will need to be collated.
Consider if You Need to Print
You should also think carefully about whether documents need to be printed or not. You can encourage your team to share documents via email of the cloud rather than printing or shrink the page so that two pages can be printed on to one standard sheet. You can also save paper by printing and copying on both sides of the paper. Although this may require configuring your printers, it will reduce the amount of paper used by half.
Reuse Paper
If you have needed to print something out, before you throw the paper away, consider how it could be reused. Plain paper faxes can only use one side of the paper, so consider reusing paper in your fax machine. You can also reuse your paper by keeping a scratch paper pile. Many people grab a fresh sheet of paper from the printer, copier, or copy paper pack if they need to scribble a note. You will just need to train your team to reach for the scratch paper rather than grab a fresh piece.
Look for Recycled Materials
You can also make your workplace greener by looking for recycled alternatives to any single use items. So, if you need to have paper cups for reception guests and toilet paper for your restrooms, look for brands that provide recycled products.
Consider Refills
Finally, think about your consumables and if they can be refilled. Copy toner, print cartridges, and other items around the office tend to be thrown away when they are empty, but there are companies that specialize in refills. Whether your original cartridge is refilled or you recycle an empty cartridge and receive a full one, this saves a great deal of plastic being thrown away. Generally, print cartridges can be refilled three times before they begin to degrade and compromise the print quality, so you could reduce your plastic waste by two thirds.
With the current economic climate, many consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of their lifestyles. So, if you can adopt greener business practices, you can reassure your customers and potential clients that you are doing your bit for a more eco friendly world.