Whether you’re working from home or in an office, it’s easy to take shortcuts and opt for convenience over sustainability when it comes to things like office supplies and utilities. Not only is this a force of habit, admittedly, it’s often easier. And if you’re putting in a business order, they may potentially be giving you a bulk discount, too.
But with the world changing rapidly, businesses have a responsibility to act in the fight against climate change. Examining the supplies and utilities that you and your employees are using may not feel like it will make a big difference, but every effort helps. Here’s how you can empower your employees to make eco-friendly choices every day.
Work supplies
If you order supplies for all your employees, then making the switch to eco-friendly suppliers is your responsibility. Phase your current stationery out slowly and replace it with sustainable products so that you don’t create mass waste. Doing this will mean that your employees will have easy access to eco-friendly items, rather than having to personally seek them out.
Eco products can often be more expensive, which can act as a barrier to people from making sustainable choices. If your employees order their own stationery, then make it clear that you’re happy for them to order eco items, even if they are more expensive. Having clear communication around this can mean that employees feel able to consider the planet when they spend, rather than being worried about the impact of higher costs.
Utilities
Changing to a renewable energy tariff is a great step that both businesses and employees can take. Whilst you don’t have any control over the energy your employees choose at home, sharing information around green tariffs and offering support when it comes to switching can be a good way to empower employees and get them inspired by the choices that the business is making. Hopefully, they will then take this into their own lives.
Whilst there is no way to get only renewable energy into your office, you can choose a green tariff. This means that the electricity that your supplier is putting into the grid is green, thus increasing the overall amount of renewable energy in the mix. If everybody did this, then companies would generate more electricity through renewable sources and less via fossil fuels, because of supply and demand.
There are several companies that only offer renewable energy tariffs, both for home and commercial spaces, or if you don’t want to move away from your current supplier, then contact them and ask about green tariffs.
How can we share knowledge?
It is key to make things easy when sharing knowledge around sustainability. A lot of the time, people struggle to find time to do the research around eco-friendly choices, as well as being influenced by cost.
Perhaps your company could have a nominated eco-representative or small team who could be the main points of contact to pull together a short presentation on a specific topic, like energy suppliers, and share this with the wider company. Additionally, you could also consider having someone to support with creating lists of common products, like pens and paper, and note down eco-friendly suppliers. This would help employees make quick and easy eco-friendly choices as opposed to just putting in a repeat order for their normal items.
In the end, whatever you do, remember that it’s not about being perfect. Instead, it’s about getting sustainability onto your employees’ radar and supporting them in making responsible and conscious choices that are better for the planet, no matter whether they’re big or small.
Author: John Bramer – Media Consultant | Digital Content
Photo credit: Margot RICHARD on Unsplash
