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Let's Talk Green: Simple Steps Towards a Greener Office
April 22, 2021
Earth Day is a great time to reflect on how both business and we as individuals impact the planet. A greener office doesn’t require a massive overhaul, instead you can make small changes that add up. Implementing a complex, major change to the workflow at your office may not be sustainable, but gradual, minor changes are more likely to get traction with your employees.
Use Sustainable Products and Practices.
Check with your Utility Company to Learn About Green Energy Options They May Provide.
Save Energy & Resources by Having the Majority of Employees Work Remotely.
Start Going Paperless.
Use sustainable products and practices around the office.
You might assume that sustainable products will be too expensive to use throughout your office, but that’s not always the case. You can check with different sustainable manufacturers and see if they offer bulk discounts or find ways to use normal supplies sustainably.
- Buy office supplies in bulk: You can reduce your waste by buying products in bulk. Even if the products aren’t sustainable, you will save on packaging waste.
- Exchange standard lightbulbs for LEDs: Changing out standard lightbulbs for LEDs can save a lot of energy and money. The cost upfront may be more, but LED bulbs save you money by not needing to be replaced as often.
- Turn off any electronics that aren’t in use: If a printer or any other electronic are rarely used in the office, just make sure employees know to turn it off between uses. Turning unused appliances off can save energy and money.
- Encourage recycling: Offer recycling receptacles around the office. You’d be surprised how many of your employees will recycle if the bins are available.
Check with your utility company about using green energy
There have been many advancements in green energy over the last few years, including more affordable solar and wind options. Your business’s current energy provider may have green energy plans that you can utilize. It just takes a simple phone call to learn your options.
Offer incentives for employees who are making a green effort.
If you want to have your employees help minimize your companies environmental impact the easiest thing to do is offer incentives or make it fun by turning it into a friendly competition. You can offer incentives for:
- Walking, riding a bike, or carpooling to work.
- Donating un-needed office supplies or furniture.
- Joining a recycling program or volunteering for a neighborhood clean-up.
Incentives don’t have to be expensive, anything from a $5 Amazon Gift Card up to an additional hour of PTO, or a reserved parking space will be appreciated. You can also turn a green initiative into a friendly competition with an app like The Conqueror Challenge which allows you to sign up for fitness competitions and plant trees based on different milestones reached.
Have employees work remotely
As businesses begin to emerge from the fog of the COVID-19 pandemic and re-open, many are re-evaluating the benefits of a primarily remote workforce. Although the sudden shift to remote work was a major challenge, the infrastructure and necessary policies are now in place for a hybrid office for many businesses and organizations. Likewise, many employees have benefited from the shorter commute and more flexible workday.
Studies show that working from home reduces your impact on the environment. When employees work remotely it can help the environment by:
- Reducing the emissions: Employees no longer need to make their daily commute to work. This alone reduces not only emissions but also energy usage and fossil fuel consumption.
- Minimizing your energy and utility usage: By allowing a hybrid work week you may have the opportunity to downsize the office. When enough employees work at home you can save money and be green by swapping a smaller office space. You will no longer need individual desks for each employee. You can instead get a shared space that accommodates a rotating workforce.
- Cuts down on office supply waste: When employees work from home they are generally more conservative about their paper and plastic usage. They are naturally more inclined to make small green decisions like using re-usable coffee cups and utensils or printing on both sides of the paper.
Making remote work an option at your organization starts by taking stock of what your employees do and whether they can work just as effectively at home.
Read More About Facilitating Remote Work & Overcoming Typical Challenges
Start going paperless
Going paperless can have a huge impact on your environmental footprint as a company. Cutting down on all the paper in the office can have many benefits, the most obvious of which is cutting down on your paper consumption, but there are other reasons to go paperless. Going paperless can also save your business money in storage for paper documents, employee time searching through old files, or fuel retrieving documents from off-site storage.
Going paperless can be a little more complicated than the previous suggestions, but here are some steps to get you started:
- Document Scanning & Conversion: Scanning your current physical records starts you on the road to going paperless. It allows your employees to have access to documents without searching through piles of files and saves office space.
- Electronic Content Management System (ECMS): Once you go paperless it is important to have an easy way to search and organize your files company-wide. An ECMS is software that provides a secure central repository for all your files, making them easy to search and access for all your employees.
- Utilize the Cloud: The Cloud is a great, secure option for storing your newly converted documents. Running your ECMS in The Cloud has many advantages. As a result of using The Cloud, you may be able to eliminate on-site servers that use energy resources and office space.
Even though going green in your office can seem daunting, hopefully utilizing these small steps can help your business move towards a greener future.
How can DOMA help your company go green with Digital Transformation?
DOMA utilizes AWS tools and services to help organizations to digitize and manage content. The first step in helping you to go green is our Secure Document Conversion process which digitizes your physical records. Instead of analog records, your team will have access to a fully searchable archive that can include automated workflows, digital forms and more.
Once you have converted to electronic records. your content can be stored in a highly secure cloud environment. DOMA’s DX Software is a cloud-based electronic content management software that makes your documents easily accessible, searchable, and secure. Our experts can help build a customized cloud environment that meets your content needs.
About DOMA- Powered by Tech, Driven by People
DOMA Technologies (DOMA) is a software development and digital transformation company whose mission is to change customer lives by lightening their workload through faster and more targeted access to their data. Since 2000, our team of 200+ experts has helped businesses navigate all aspects of the digital world. We are a dedicated strategic partner for the federal government and private sector clients at every stage of their unique digital transformation journey.
Author:
Danielle Wethington
Director of Communications
DMT@DOMAonline.com
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