As global warming and environmental awareness continues to be a much discussed topic, it is possible that we have become completely desensitized to this pressing issue and have simply written it off as ‘too hard’ or ‘not something that we can do anything about’.
On the contrary, there are many seemingly small practices and changes that business and individuals can implement in order to ‘do their bit’ for the environmental situation.
From turning off the lights and your PC when they are not needed to using recycled paper, every little thing, when reproduced across the globe, can indeed have a positive effect. And in most cases not only will you be helping the environment but you will save on costs too!
Some examples of ways that you, and particularly businesses, can ‘do your bit’ include:
- Turn off lights when the room is not in use, this includes meeting rooms, offices, living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens.
- Turn off your computer when it is not in use, this includes overnight and can even stretch as far as turning it off when you go to lunch if you want to really be conscientious and proactive.
- Use recycled paper – this may be as small as reusing scrap/waste paper by printing drafts and documents for review on the reverse blank side, or even reverting to purchasing and utilising fully recycled paper for everything from contract and documents to business letterhead.
- Only print what you need to – do you really need a hard copy of that email, or can you store a copy electronically? There may be many other types of files that you can store electronically as well.
- Ensure that you, and your employees, not only have access to but make use of recycling bins for paper, bottles, jars, cans and any other recyclable material that your business may use.
Some businesses have become particularly proactive in the environmentally friendly arena. With technology such as video conferencing it is possible to meet with clients and do business deals without leaving your office. This not only saves travel time and costs but will reduce the impact on the environment as there is no transportation required, whether this is via taxi to the next suburb, or airplane to the next state.
As a way of ensuring that your workplace moves forward towards a ‘greener’ future you can possibly look to implement regular review and reporting processes. This may be through appointing a staff member to be responsible for monitoring current practices or even incorporating environmental awareness into employee evaluations, depending on what is appropriate for your situation.
Whatever steps you choose to take, the fact remains that we all need to start addressing what we can do to move towards an environmentally friendly workforce and business community.
The professionals at The Quinn Group can provide you with advice regarding every aspect of your business. Whether it is cutting costs, improving productivity or environmental awareness right through to preparing budgets, legal contracts and compliance. As a multi-disciplinary firm we are equipped to provide advice on a range of business and personal areas. If you would like further information, or you have a query that we can assist with please contact us by calling 1300 QUINNS or click here to submit and online enquiry.
