Going Green

We all need to do more to protect our environment not only by reducing our carbon footprint but also being responsible and informed consumers. At Margolis Office Environments we are putting the theory into practice as we source from reputable suppliers and make sure that any disposals of unwanted office equipment, furniture and building waste is done responsibly.

We are also making inroads in our own small way by reducing individual transport and putting into practice the advice we give in our refurbishment handbook. Below is an extract from our recent publication that gives good practical advice on the subject and will hopefully inspire and guide more companies to do the right thingto improve their office interior!

Making Your Office Interior A Greener Space

Reducing the impact that businesses have on the environment has received a lot of press recently and terms like ‘carbon footprint’ and ‘carbon offsetting’ have quickly become media buzzwords.

The government is now hot on the heels of corporate environmental policy, so make sure you’re clued up on your duties as a responsible ‘green’ employer.

It has been estimated that UK businesses produce 40% of our overall carbon emissions. In fact, according to a study commissioned by the Carbon Trust, small and medium-sized firms waste a whopping £1bn of energy each year.

Here are 9 easy steps to get you started:

1. Consider switching to a ‘green’ energy supplier, one who sources electricity from renewable sources (such as wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power).
2. Ensure any new appliances have an energy efficiency rating of “A”.
3. Fit your office interiors with energy saving light bulbs.
4. Recycle, recycle, recycle! Plastics, paper and metals can all be reprocessed. Make it as easy as possible for staff to take part. Place recycling bins in several convenient locations around the office.
5. Educate staff to turn off their PCs (including monitors), laptops, mobile phone chargers and lights off when not in use.
6. Print sparingly. Can emails be read onscreen rather than on paper? Can non-essential documents be printed on scrap paper?
7. Ensure communal lights and air-conditioning are completely switched off when not in use.
8. Consider installing sensors that automatically turn lights off when a room is vacant.
9. Stock the kitchen area with glasses rather than plastic cups.
10. Check that your fit-out contractor is using environmentally friendly materials.

In very little time (as little as a year in most cases); these measures will actually start saving your company money. Of course it is impossible to reduce your business’s CO2 emissions down to zero, which is why another increasingly popular option is to start ‘offsetting’ your carbon emissions.

How do I Offset carbon emissions?

It’s simple process involving two steps. First off, you will need to calculate your company’s carbon footprint (in other words the level of CO2 emissions your business currently churns out).

There are several organisations who can help you do this. Just doing a simple online search for ‘carbon offsetting’ will bring up several different options.

The next stage is to buy ‘carbon offset’ credits. Essentially, these credits are investments in projects which strive to reduce or remove CO2 emissions. These fall into two categories:

1. Certified Carbon Credits
2. Voluntary Carbon Credits.

The former involves investing in projects that encourages industry to lower their CO2 emissions, whereas the latter is a more hands on approach which provides funds for planting new trees and vegetation. Both are equally viable options. Look at the costs involved in assessing which course of action is right for your business.

Interesting facts:

Monitors account for two-thirds of a computer's energy use.
Using daylight where possible can cut bills by up to 19%.
Huge savings can be made by turning off heating in storerooms and the office during holidays and weekends.