Going Green at Work- BIDBI's top tips

Going green is good for business and good for the environment. Implementing good 'go green' ideas doesn’t necessarily mean spending lots of money. In fact, using effective green ideas can actually save you money. Below we have outlined 7 low cost eco-friendly ideas for the office, starting with the easy stuff:

Use all the paper! Fun fact, paper has 2 sides. If your printer has the duplex printing function, enable this to allow the printer to print to both sides. Alternatively try reusing scrap paper by putting it back into the printer. Finally, be sure to buy recycled paper.

Less is more with power: Windows and Mac computers both come equipped with envergy saving settings, so switch to the energy saver settings and be sure to tell your collegues too. See below screenshot for help for how to find the settings on both Windows and Mac. When purchasing new IT equipment you can check the TDP to see how much power the system pulls from the wall, and also power supplies with ratings in efficiency will contribute to less waste electricity. 

Clean and Green: Cleaning products do not have to be harmful to the environment, and eco friendly replacements are readily available in most large supermarkets. If you hire a cleaning company, ask them about replacing harmful chemical products with their eco friendly equivalents. 

Turn it off Turn it down! Make sure all computer/lighting/heating equipment isn't needlessly using electricity when people aren't in the office. Most boilers have timers that can be set to heat during working hours, and power sockets can be equipped with similar timers for a few quid. Finally, try turning the heating down a few degrees, you probably won't notice the difference and you'll be saving money in the long run. 

Recycle, obviously: Its almost too obvious, but reducing waste at work is hugely important. The UK produces more than 100 million tonnes of waste every year, one tonne is about the weight of a small car. If you recycle at home, its just a matter of transfering those same habits to work, and depending on the type of company you work at, the amount of waste can vary. Local companies can be used to collect paper/plastic/cardboard, so be sure to seperate your waste.

See the light! Replace all traditional forms of lighting with LED or other low power bulbs to reduce your power use and save lots of money on your energy bill. An energy saving light bulb can save you up to £100 over its lifetime! LED bulbs and energy efficient bulbs will also last signifiantly longer than the big round bulbs.

Get out of a jam! If driving to work can be avoided, do it. Car sharing is a good way to reduce pollution but walking/cycling is a great way to keep fit and it will improve your zen, everybody knows Viatmain D is good for you! 

So that’s it for our list of low cost go green ideas. If you've already implemented any of these let us know or if you've do any thing else let us know! Starting small and making easy changes like recylcing or turning off your computer at the end of the day is encouraged, once you've got those covered it'll be second nature and you can move on to the bigger go green ideas.

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