Workplace Greening

Many of Florida’s businesses are finding that keeping a green workplace makes sense. It is an idea that seems to be here to stay. This is true because it makes sense financially and because it is good for our environment. For many businesses, the easiest way to begin is to start an office-recycling program. But important as recycling is, there is more to creating a sustainable workplace than waste recycling. It involves analyzing the waste you produce, reducing your output of waste generated, and then recycling what is left. It also means constantly looking for new and better ways to improve efficiency and conserve energy, water and resources used by your business.

A successful green workplace will track its use of materials, whether in water, energy, paper, chemicals and office supplies. After tracking the use of these resources the office will then find ways to use less of each of them. Documenting cost reduction will help management see that greening the workplace is a worthwhile endeavor.

The first step to office greening is to know where you are starting from, so that improvements and savings can be tracked. However, your offices specific plan will depend on the size of your organization and the level of enthusiasm by management. If management is involved, chances of success will be much greater. Identification of your starting point might involve only review, or for more complex organizations, may mean a formal study and audit conducted by office managers or an outside consultant. Once a starting point is established, it is time to set goals.

Office greening is a truly active process. Therefore, If you find areas where your efforts don’t appear to be working or are diminishing (i.e. your recycling yields are declining, more resources are being used), react. Study each part of your plan to assess the problem and act to correct the problem. Employees may need positive feedback, or extra training. Or, there may be equipment or organizational problems. Acting immediately will help you turn things around before old, wasteful habits return.

The 3 R’s

• Reduce – Whenever possible it is best to use as little of a product, chemical or raw material (including water) as possible so as to cut costs, waste and save energy.
• Reuse – If a product has been used and not consumed, use it again as long as it functions.
• Recycle – Whenever cannot be reused should be recycled.

Green Managers

A green organization needs leaders that understand the benefits of greening their workplace. Use management improvement programs to educate your managers about waste reduction and recycling. Include waste minimization and including waste reduction and recycling goals in your managers’ performance measures. A great technique that will prove to be effective to implementing this program is to introduce an element of competition into the mix. Initiate monthly or annual green awards, publicize successes, and provide positive consistent feedback. Moreover, make environmentally responsible management part of the organization’s culture.

Having a green workplace means that you must make the most efficient possible use of the resources you have available, and reducing waste and eliminating preventable adverse effects on the environment. But, what about the bottom-line? Isn’t that what good managers do anyway? These may be questions you ask, but businesses that have implemented waste reduction and minimization programs report that reducing consumption and waste is often reflected in financial savings for the company. In nearly all cases, the initial expenditures (if any) required to implement waste-saving measures will quickly be offset by savings.

The Paperless Office

Paper wins the race hands down for the material entering the waste stream. In fact, stationary, book paper, photocopier paper and computer paper may account for 80% of the waste produced from an office. A little forethought and planning may eliminate a substantial amount of paper (and the cost of the paper, ink, wear and tear on machinery and time) that otherwise would be thrown away.