Offices become “Sustainable”

Waste is omnipresent in a company, not only in the production process but in offices and in non productive processes as well. We are not talking only of the classic seven wastes which are eliminated by the lean approach, but also of emissions and waste of energy which can be eliminated through a “green” approach.

The objective to pursue is to make offices not only efficient but also “sustainable” minimizing the consume of paper, energy, gas and water and eliminating waste.

To fully achieve this objective is no easy task, but to implement actions that help your company get closer and closer to it is more than possible.

Often with only a few, simple changes one can achieve significant results.

Here are a few simple rules that, when followed, can turn an office into a sustainable one.

Paper: avoid any unnecessary use of paper and whenever paper is needed use recycled or FSC certified paper. Print front and back and use printed documents you no longer need as notepaper.

Lights: in clear days prefer solar light to electric light. Remember to turn off the lights wherever they are not needed and before leaving the office. Replace traditional lamps with long duration and low consumption ones.

Heating: maintain a stable temperature of about 20 degrees and be sure to close all the doors and to turn off the heating in the rooms that are not used. Avoid to cover the radiators for this limits the circulation of hot air. Remember to turn off the heating when you leave the office.

Air conditioning: follow the same rules as for the heating: close the doors and maintain a stable temperature which should be no more than 8 degrees lower than outside temperature. Remember to turn off the air conditioning when you leave the office and when you open the windows for air recycling purposes.

Equipment: every office is now furnished with many equipments and in particular with computers which have energy saving functions. Therefore make use of the stand by function, turn off your monitor during breaks and unplug your equipment before leaving. Turn on only the equipment you need and make use of online faxing.

Water: Avoid letting the water run when it is not needed. In case of leaks call the plumber as soon as possible in order to avoid waste. Install water dispensers thus avoiding bottles and the need to dispose of them.

Cars: First of all encourage carpooling among colleagues. By having more people use one vehicle, carpooling reduces each person’s travel costs such as fuel costs, tolls, and the stress of driving. It is a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way to travel as it reduces carbon emissions, traffic congestion on the roads, and the need for parking spaces

Have your car serviced regularly and have your tires regularly checked. Try and drive at a constant speed as much as possible, avoid unnecessary loads and prefer fresh air from outside to a constant use of air conditioning.

Refuse collection: use different containers for different kinds of refuse; dispose of toners, batteries, and other special materials delivering them to the appropriate centres; use products with minimum packages and avoid “use and throw” products.

Green: put at least a potted plant in the office. This will make the place not only more colourful and pleasant, but also healthier since plants absorb carbon dioxide and increase oxygen concentration.

These are simple, common sense rules. If you want your personnel to abide by them you need to spend some time to instruct them. It is also important to identify a few sustainability indicators and to set an objective level for each of them, measuring on a regular basis the achievement of these objectives.

Remember: you must be efficient and sustainable not only in production but everywhere and under every aspect of your company’s life! And offices are no exceptions.