In the summertime, it’s always a bit easier to be a bit greener. Cycling to work is nicer, eating more salads and vegetables feels a bit easier, and more time spent outside means you’ll be more acutely aware of your environment.
Trying to get your employees motivated about being greener can be a tough gig, but it’s best to start down the road in the summertime so that everyone is on board when it gets a bit harder to cycle to work in the winter!
Changing Habits for a Changing Planet
Changing your habits to greener and more eco-friendly options, and for many business owners it might seem like a lot of effort for not a lot of return, but studies have shown that a greener workplace leads to healthier employees and healthier employees are happier employees who take fewer days off sick with illness or stress than employees who aren’t happy in their work.
Here are five simple tips to bring a bit of an eco-mindset to your workplace. Some are easy to implement, and some need a bit of extra effort, but all are worth it to make a better planet for you, your employees, and for future generations.
Install Better Air Conditioning
It’s the summer, you’re going to be turning on that aircon to keep everyone cool, but how ecofriendly is your aircon, and how much money is it wasting your business? Installing an Evaporative Air Conditioner could help you to save money due to its lower power consumption, and to save the planet by using a natural evaporative process to cool the air.
Win/win for you and the planet.
Bring the Outside In
Many studies have shown that workplaces that have plants and greenery also have happier and healthier employees.
It’s not always possible to have plants all over the office, but if you can inject a bit of nature into the building, why not? You’ll see the benefits right away
Use Recycling Bins
Recycling is vital now, and we can’t just keep throwing things in landfill or shipping it off to other countries.
Install recycling bins wherever bins are needed and make sure your employees use them properly. Paper, plastics, cans, food waste, all of these should be recycled instead of going to landfill.
Ditch Disposables
Let’s talk about water coolers. Most offices have some cold drinking water dispensing option for employees, and most offices also buy in towers of disposable plastic cups to go with them. Even if they’re not plastic, they’re usually disposable plastic-lined cardboard.
It’s time to break up with disposables by encouraging your employees to bring their own cup, glass, or water bottle to work with them.
Make an Eco Taskforce
If there are one thing employees the world over hate it’s being told what to do by middle management who are never around, so why not put the ball in their court?
Set up an eco-taskforce and give them some powers to effect change. You’ll be surprised how well this will work!
