Environmental protection is not only important within our own four walls. In the office, too, each of us can take measures to make our everyday working life more sustainable. If the instruction comes from management, it is often a greater motivator, but a lot can also be achieved through the initiative of employees themselves.
We have summarized a few ideas for more sustainability in the office for you here.
Environmentally friendly steps towards a sustainable working day
Sustainability begins with the smallest of steps. Thinking briefly about whether the Google search is really necessary or simply picking up the phone instead of a complex email conversation are already active measures for climate protection. Why? An average email is estimated to cause between 0.3 and 0.7 grams of CO2 - if there are attachments, this value usually rises significantly. A Google search, on the other hand, uses around 0.3 watt hours of electricity; with a global search volume of 8.5 billion per day, it quickly becomes clear how gigantic the electricity consumption here is.
However, there are a whole host of other measures that can be taken in everyday working life to conserve resources, avoid waste and save energy.
1. Healthy organic lunch instead of fast food
Sustainability often comes through the stomach. A nutrient-rich lunch strengthens the nerves and the body much better than a quick snack from the supermarket or takeaway. At Purora, we also guarantee that the production of our meals is environmentally friendly and sustainable - we only use controlled organic ingredients of the best quality. And with our products, your office is also at the forefront in terms of zero waste: the meal is prepared directly in the jars supplied and you can enjoy it from them. A tasty, sustainable lunch without any plastic waste, vegetable peelings or dirty pots!
2. Bicycle and public transport instead of car
How far is the journey to work? For many employees, the journey can be managed by public transport, bicycle or a combination of the two. If the company actively encourages this, as well as offering a bicycle bonus or paying for the public transport ticket, perhaps even those who have previously found excuses will be able to make the switch. Of course, it is essential that those in management positions set a good example here.
3. Waste separation
It only takes a few steps, but has an enormous impact: Correct waste separation can be required of employees as well as management in everyday work. Appropriate training during the onboarding process of new colleagues and labeling of the garbage cans ensure that glass, metal, paper, plastic, organic and residual waste can be separated according to type and thus easily recycled.
4. Print and copy less
A classic in corporate sustainability concepts - and yet unnecessary copies are still made, or page after page of presentations are printed out for individual meetings. Unfortunately, using recycled paper is just a drop in the ocean here, because electricity and ink or toner are still used. In addition to the mindfulness of individual employees, clear instructions from management are particularly required here so that unnecessary printing is avoided as far as possible.
5. Save electricity in the office
Devices in standby mode also consume energy. You can imagine the enormous unnecessary consumption that can be incurred even in smaller offices if PCs and printers are not switched off properly at the end of the working day and especially before the weekend. Important steps can also be taken towards a more sustainable working day in terms of lighting by using LED lamps and motion detectors. Air conditioning or heating systems can be optimally adjusted and operated in a more energy-efficient manner using smart cooling & heating.
6. Critically examine business trips
Reducing business trips has particularly great potential for greater sustainability in everyday working life. After all, anyone who flies by plane or drives long distances by car produces significantly more CO2 than a normal day in the office ever could. There are plenty of climate-friendly alternatives: via Zoom, Skype or Teams, all topics can be discussed face to face without having to jet around the globe. And if you really have to travel, you will find an excellent range of train connections, at least within Europe, that will get you to your destination comfortably and more sustainably.
7. Sustainable equipment
How environmentally friendly is the office? If you look carefully, you will find a wealth of opportunities in the work environment to replace electronic devices and other items with more sustainable alternatives. Does the coffee machine run on energy- and waste-intensive disposable capsules? Do the cleaning products contain environmentally harmful chemicals? Do printers, scanners, etc. work efficiently? Office supplies such as paper, pens and foil are also available in recycled and therefore more sustainable versions.
8. Initiative and role model function
Be the change you want to see in the world - that's the saying, and that applies to your everyday work life as well as to every other aspect of your life. Acting sustainably is not difficult: If you think your office still has room for improvement in terms of climate protection, dare to be the first to cycle to work and turn off the printer at the end of the day. Talk to your colleagues and superiors about it. With strong role models, it's easier to take action yourself.
Conclusion: Small steps with lasting impact
Climate protection and sustainability are the greatest global challenges of our time and therefore affect us all. It's good that even small steps can achieve something - especially when the whole team pulls together. A sustainable working day begins with using heating, air conditioning, electricity and printers sparingly, riding a bike or public transport to the office or enjoying a healthy, predominantly plant-based organic meal together at lunch. Which of these steps are you already implementing?
If you want to start making your lunch at the office more sustainable right now by avoiding waste and enjoying healthy, organic meals without much effort, take a look at our product page and send us an inquiry for your individual company offer .
