Green office products allow your business to successfully reduce energy wastage and limit environmental impacts such as pollution and deforestation. By aligning your firm’s procurement policy with a wider sustainability strategy, firms are better able to reduce their overheads and carbon footprint in the long-term.
A green office product policy should begin with an in-depth audit of your equipment requirements. Procurement stakeholders and senior management should work together to identify products which can be sourced sustainably and then decide on various budgeting priorities.
Kitchen products are a good place to start. Dishwasher ranges like Bosch ActiveWater minimize water and energy usage effectively; ensure that you only run a cycle when the machine is full.
Ecokettle supply particularly effective energy saving kettles, allowing you to boil the exact amount of water required for each coffee run. Most leading manufacturers also offer energy saving microwaves and fridges; just look out for an Energy Saving Trust certified product.
Environmentally friendly cleaning products are particularly effective and will minimise the impact on the atmosphere and local ecosystem. Clover Eco460 All Purpose Cleaner will work on most hard surfaces including tables, kitchen surfaces and glass; it is also rapidly biodegradable and phosphate-free.
Recycled toilet roll, combined with Clover Eco550 Toilet Cleaner, will reduce the environmental impact of your bathroom facilities. Click Cleaning UK offers a variety of environmentally-friendly cleaning products which help you keep your office ship-shape.
Most companies have a recycling plan in place; make sure each room has separate bins for recyclable and non-recyclable waste; biodegradable refuse sacks also minimise the overall environmental impact.
For computers and electrical products, Go-Green-PC offers a variety of energy saving desktops, monitors and accessories. Eco System JB3 is a particularly efficient model, although the majority of leading manufacturers have energy-saving modes.
Lighting accounts for 40 per cent of an office’s estimated electricity bill and is a huge opportunity to reduce energy wastage. Phillips offers a variety of energy efficient lighting solutions including MASTER TL-D Power Saver set. Energy saving radiators from Haverland will also reduce your heating requirements.
Adopting a managed print service can help to reduce paper and energy wastage and save costs. Xerox’s ColorQube printers will also maximise energy efficiency; look out for Energy Star certified products.
Greenprint software highlights and removes unwanted pages prior to printing, reducing paper wastage. Sourcing sustainable paper will also help to reduce global illegal logging; all paper products now need to adhere to new European legislation to ensure that their environmental impact is minimized.
Environmental furniture, including cardboard shelving and desks, energy saving desk lamps, recycled plastic pens and notepads can also be sourced from Nigel’s eco store, creating the complete green office.
Overall, the benefits of green office products are clear: firms are able to reduce energy requirements, improve their environmental impact and lower costs. By creating a wider sustainable strategy, firms can attract new investment, government grants and become more profitable in the long-term.
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