Whether you’re at home or at work, being environmentally friendly is important to everyone.
We’re all living on this planet together, so it’s everyone’s responsibility to look after it – that means looking for good, planet-saving alternatives to help reduce your global footprint.
The office is one of the most ubiquitous working environments of the 21st century with millions of people spending the best pair of their day in one. So it’s only right employees and employers should do their bit to be greener.
From recycled stationery to cleaning products, here are some of the best available items guaranteed to make your desks and workplace cleaner, greener and more wonderful to work in…
- Eco Friendly Pens and Pencils – these de-rigueur office essentials have been made from recycled crisp packets and car parts! Yes, I bet you didn’t think you could turn those into a writing implement…
- Recycled Paper Office Notebooks – Recycled from other old note books and those floods of junk mail that pass through all of our letterboxes, you can take notes or doodle to your heart’s content – then when the pad’s filled in and you no longer need the notes, recycle it again!
- Filing and Storage – You needn’t get into a faff that your filing’s depleting the ozone layer. From box files to ring binders there’s plenty to choose from that’s both useful and good for the environment.
- Sticky Notes – Sticky notes are notorious for adorning many a desk and PC and there are plenty of green options that mean you can go Post-It crazy without worrying about the long term effects of so much paper wastage. In fact, if you’ve got a recent version of Windows you may even have the ‘Sticky Notes’ program which is like virtual Post-It notes for your computer screen!
Of course, after a hard days’ work the office can look a little worse for the wear, and the prospect of giving the place a spruce up can be less than inviting.
But panic not! There are plenty of options when it comes to natural, sustainable, antibacterial cleaning products to help you get rid of the grime whilst still protecting the planet, such as:
- Multi-Surface Cleaner – An effective multi-surface cleaner should form the basis of any cleaning kit; it’s especially helpful when it comes to scrubbing out pen marks or coffee rings!
- Polish – You’ll be able to see your own reflection after polishing with some of the non-toxic, biodegradable alternatives available.
- Cloths – Some eco-friendly cloths are made of close knit fibres that require no chemicals to be sprayed onto them (or the surface) at all and can be washed many times – at a low temperature of course.
- Air Freshener – It’s important to keep the office smelling pleasant and fragrant and some bleach/ammonia free air fresheners do the trick very nicely. For an even greener alternative, simply fill your office with plants which will both purify the air and brighten the place up!
Not convinced? ‘Greener cleaner’ isn’t always the cheapest option out there, but consider the long-term benefits of cleaning the office with environmentally-friendly products for both the company and its employees:
- It’s healthier, consequently reducing the number of sick days – chemicals found in many standard cleaning products have been linked to respiratory illnesses and allergies
- It improves the indoor air quality, making your office seem much nicer and cleaner when clients pop round!
- It minimises the wear on office furniture – harsh chemicals clean more than just the dirt away, they can erode the table- and counter-tops too!
- It reflects a positive business image – many clients are seeking out companies who have ethical, eco-friendly standards nowadays.
There are always greener alternatives to look out for, whether that’s office stationary or office cleaning.
What environmentally friendly office-based tips have you got to add?
