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Going green has become an important focus for many businesses in recent years. As companies embark on their journey towards sustainability, they are discovering that being environmentally friendly has numerous economical benefits.

The benefits don’t just stop at a lower electricity bill. With growing consumer support for sustainability, especially among younger consumers, well-managed green initiatives can have a direct impact on purchase decisions. However, going green requires consistent effort to minimise waste in every aspect. It can be hard to adjust long-maintained practices, and in many cases, greener alternatives have to be considered against safety, hygiene, and price.

Fortunately, it isn’t hard or expensive for offices to go greener. In addition to cultivating energy-saving habits, various innovations have become available over the last decade that enables businesses to go green. Here are some simple changes companies can adopt to make their work environment greener.

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Reduce energy consumption and updating technology

Cutting the amount of electricity usage is a great way to go green with an instant benefit - lower monthly utility bills.

To start, endeavour to turn off artificial lights in meeting rooms when there is sufficient natural light. Air-conditioning is a notorious culprit of heavy electricity usage, so encourage employees to set the temperature to 25℃ or higher to maximise energy efficiency.

Making sure computers and laptops are switched off and not in standby mode when they’re not in use is another way to conserve energy. Switching to eco-friendly computers and lights greatly reduces an office’s electricity usage and potentially saves a lot of money in the long run.

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Go paperless

Excessive paper and ink use is very common in offices and it is often unnecessary. By asking employees to be mindful of what they are printing, and reserving printer use for important documents, the amount of paper used each week can be minimised. And why not go greener and drop paper altogether? Keeping documents managed and stored in cloud-based solutions such as Dropbox and Google Drive can dramatically reduce the need for printing any documents at all.

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Say no to plastics

Plastics are a serious threat to the environment as they are largely non-biodegradable. Eliminating the use of workplace plastic is another good step towards becoming an eco-friendly office. Disposable cups and plates, plastic bags, and plastic water bottles can easily be substituted with reusable alternatives. But consider another source of plastics that are a big part of our office environment: plastic access cards and their accompanying lanyards.

Outdated access cards can be phased out by adopting new technology, such as GTRIIP’s office solutions, which allows staff to access their workplaces and meeting rooms with their own mobile keys on their smartphones. GTRIIP assigns document-less keys to employees and visitors ahead of time, removing the need for access cards.Another advantage: GTRIIP frees up administrative and reception hassle, allowing your employees to focus on productive tasks, but also giving way to a paperless workplace without forms to sign - eliminating what would be substantial paper use.

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Updating recycling options

Offices should be set up to let employees easily recycle waste that they can’t prevent – whether that be plastic bottles or documents that are no longer needed. Setting up separate bins in communal places and near printers will encourage employees to think about what they are throwing away and what they are recycling.

A Greener Future

Just like homes, offices need to play their part in protecting the environment, and it’s possible to do it while making business sense. By simply enforcing simple rules like switching off the lights and turning off the computers when not in use, offices can make a big difference in energy consumption. They can also take extra steps to focus on reducing the use of paper and plastics in their work environment.

These may be small steps, but they can help to make the world a better and safer place for the future. Smarter offices are already reaping the benefits of reducing wastage and lowering their carbon footprint - increased efficiency and knowledge that they’re committed to doing the right thing. If you aren’t there yet, you can start looking for smart solutions for a more sustainable workplace today.

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Find out more about GTRIIP’s office solutions here. https://www.gtriip.com/office

‍To learn more about how digital keys for workplaces can minimise wasted resources while enhancing security and efficiency for your company, reach out to us via the details below: https://www.gtriip.com/consult-with-us/