Office Green Initiative

randombar

Hi All,

I said I better start a new thread on this one. Looking to drive this in our offices and looking for some advice or suggestions for other areas.

• Check Controls on Aircon
• Smart plugs at work stations that auto shut off everything after 9pm and auto start at 8am.
• Change the lighting to more efficient lighting
• Paper/cardboard recycling bins
• printers, photocopier on green settings
• No bins under desks.
• Recycle bins for Plastics and cans at each coffee station.
• Cardboard "tree huggers" on each desk to collect paper for recycling, and paper recycling bins at each printer.
• Printers automatically print double sided.

magicbastarder

it's a known issue that people don't behave nearly as conscientiously in the office as they do at home.
in our office, we have four different bins on each floor - paper waste, food waste, recycling waste and general waste.
bar maybe the paper waste bin (it has a thin letterbox opening), they all go in general waste as many people pay no heed as to what waste is *meant* to go in the bin.

randombar

magicbastarder wrote: »

it's a known issue that people don't behave nearly as conscientiously in the office as they do at home.
in our office, we have four different bins on each floor - paper waste, food waste, recycling waste and general waste.
bar maybe the paper waste bin (it has a thin letterbox opening), they all go in general waste as many people pay no heed as to what waste is *meant* to go in the bin.

Ideally it would help educate people on what goes into which bin, I'd say a lot of people are using the wrong bins at home.

baaba maal

I think it would be useful to start by establishing how much of the paper is confidential. If it is feasible to put in a small shredder that is just for the confidential stuff- that would cut down on disposal cost. Shredded paper should not be put in the recycling bin as it impossible to manage, but a local kennels or even staff member with pets might take it on an ongoing basis.

Then you are left with the need for a general recycling bin (paper, cardboard, empty plastic bottles and drinks cans) as well as a residual bin and possibly brown bin. You want to mirror what people doing domestically to reduce confusion.

In our canteen I got a waste station installed- I deliberately had them labelled "recycling" "food waste" and "landfill waste"- the latter to spell out the reality ("residual" doesn't mean anything to people, but in your case it might need to say "landfill/incineration" if the waste is going to Poolbeg or Duleek/Carranstown).

I can't stress how important the branding of the bins is- I even used a lot of pictures at the waste sorting station as some of my colleagues don't seem to read good.

A very clear email from senior management stating that it is a legal requirement for the organistion to segregate it's waste and what each staff member is asked to do would help. I would also offer staff a reusable drinks bottle and coffee cup to get some buy in.

randombar

Good call on the labels and the shredding.

baaba maal

As a matter of interest, approx. how many staff in the office?

With powering down equipment, I know from here that the network people don't like the computers witching off at the socket, so the alternative is to have the software set up so that the machines power themselves off after a certain time, with an override if the computer is active.

With the removal of the individual bins it would also be a good idea to offer staff a desktop recycler:

http://www.ecobin.ie/?product=desktop-recycler

(that is for illustration only, I'm sure ther eare other suppliers).

KevRossi

How much photocopying do you do?

We introduced a system where all copying had to go through reception; cut it down by 90%

It was mostly people copying private stuff or other stuff needlessly.

Also look at how people commute and encourage sustainable alternatives. Proper cycling lock ups, showers, place to dry clothes. Encourage public transport use as well.

Hand everybody a water bottle and install a water cooler.

randombar

Few different offices maybe 20 in each location.

Mostly laptops, only a handful of machines and people will hopefully get into the habit of switching them off first.

I think the centralised bin might have two wins, one people get up to go to the bin a bit more and then easier for cleaners etc.

randombar

KevRossi wrote: »

How much photocopying do you do?

We introduced a system where all copying had to go through reception; cut it down by 90%

It was mostly people copying private stuff or other stuff needlessly.

Also look at how people commute and encourage sustainable alternatives. Proper cycling lock ups, showers, place to dry clothes. Encourage public transport use as well.

Hand everybody a water bottle and install a water cooler.

The commuting alternatives is a good one too, not to be ignored.

randombar

What about grants for Business to update lighting etc?

baaba maal

GaryCocs wrote: »

What about grants for Business to update lighting etc?

https://www.seai.ie/business-and-public-sector/business-grants-and-supports/

I would definitely ring them first to see what is currently available out of those options- when their budgets are gone, they're really gone.

magicbastarder

our place introduced 'follow me' printing, and it cut down on paper usage by about half, IIRC.