More of us are being made aware of global warming and the negative effects our daily actions have on the environment. Although we can do so many things at home to offset some of these adverse effects, there is so much we can be doing whilst at work, too.

Fletchers Waste Management, who provide Skip Hire Sheffield as well as many other waste management services, has put together three easy ways we can all make small changes whilst at work to help improve our carbon footprint from the office.

1. Change to green cleaning products

If you are the decision-maker for what cleaning products are being used in the office, have you thought about looking into eco-friendly options? Although it has become common for many of us to choose the cheapest options when it comes to bleach and other cleaning products, it is not always made clear just how costly this can then be to the environment.

Standard cleaning products, although affordable, are made of very harsh chemicals that affect both the indoor and outdoor environment. Commercial buildings are cleaned so regularly, especially since the pandemic, it increases the chances of air pollution and increased plastic waste and water pollution. Now more than ever, it’s essential to look into green cleaning alternatives.

As these products are naturally derived, they are much safer for the environment and your staff. These greener alternative products come at a slightly higher cost; however, some cleaning companies may only choose to use these products, so they may be able to offer better deals because of this. Although somewhat more expensive, these environmentally friendly cleaning products are naturally derived, meaning they are much safer for your staff and the environment.

If you do not make the decisions, it may be worth still sharing your concerns with your manager or cleaning company to see if anything can be done.

2. Turn off those lights

When working in an office environment, it’s sometimes easy to forget the importance of still turning lights and other electrical items off at the switch when they’re no longer in use. A great way to enforce this and encourage saving electricity is with a Switch Off Policy.

These can be easily implemented in the workplace by sending emails to remind people to turn lights off when leaving empty rooms and make sure items that can be safely unplugged when going for the day are done so daily.

Posts can also be put on walls near switches as an extra reminder if needed!

3. Switch to green energy

In the UK, it is still predominantly fossil fuels that are used for our electricity and gas, which is not great for the environment as they release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

There is a better alternative, though, and that is green energy suppliers. Green energy is created by renewable sources, which can include solar panels and turbines. Sounds expensive, though, right? Well, green energy is actually very competitive in its prices and can be compared using most energy comparison websites.

Like with choosing your cleaning products, you may not always be able to make these changes quickly, but by speaking with your manager or your office landlord, they might say yes if they weren’t aware of the benefits before.

Ultimately, we can all make lots of small changes when going to work, and these are just 3 of them. There are many other suggestions online, and remember, to make a positive change, you just have to start small!