5 ways for London office workers to reduce their carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is a measure of the greenhouse gas emissions you cause.

To collectively reduce our carbon footprint in the workplace, we must work together.

Every small effort helps. If enough individuals make changes to the way they work, it can have a huge impact on an organisation’s carbon footprint.

If enough businesses follow suit, the results could be dramatic.

So how do London office workers reduce their carbon footprint?

As we mentioned, every effort to reduce your carbon footprint in the workplace helps. There are several things you can do which cause minimal disruption to your daily life. But they can make a huge impact on the environment.

Here are 5 simple ways to get you started: 

• Switch off lights when not needed
• Shutdown office equipment fully at the end of the day
• Only turn on your heating when necessary. If you have an old or inefficient heating system, encourage your company to invest in energy efficient heating technology
• Cooling systems need to be regularly maintained to maximise efficiency. Only switch them on when necessary instead of using a timer control.

Environmentally damaging emissions from transport are one of the biggest challenges when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint.

Commuting is naturally a large part of the problem for businesses. Ask yourself:

• Do you need to drive into work?
• Could you walk or cycle instead?
• Is it possible to lift share with work colleagues who live nearby?

If you travel with work, consider finding the most sustainable way to do so. Flying, for example, might be more convenient. However, if you can take the train, you’ll be helping to lower your carbon footprint.

It’s also worth asking whether you really need to travel to conduct your business or could it be done remotely instead?

Your organisation may well have a car pool scheme or cycle to work scheme already set up, if not, why not help to organise this for them?

Recycling in the office is one of the simplest and most easily adopted ways for London office workers to help reduce their carbon footprint.

If not recycled, reused or repurposed, office waste ends up in landfill. When materials decompose they emit toxic methane and other greenhouse gases.

However, the issue also lies with the length of time things take to fully decompose – plastics, for example, can take up to 1000 years to decompose.

Every business should implement a recycling policy – read why we think every office manager should have a recycling policy.

A recycling system, however, is only as good as the people who use it. Therefore, it must be well explained and communicated to the whole organisation to be effective.

Wrap are a good resource for posters and other promotional literature for office managers to download and use in the office.

There are green options for most common office supplies and by doing research, offices can not only help the environment but save money too.

Consider the companies you procure from, not just regarding of products themselves but the production, transportation, use and disposal of the goods as well.

Everything from recycled paper to hiring a green cleaning company can help your business become more environmentally friendly.

We have a comprehensive guide to purchasing environmentally friendly office furniture to help get you started, as well as a list of UK stationery suppliers which includes a stationery supplier for environmentally friendly office supplies.

Every business is different but with a bit of thought, there are plenty of creative ways in which you can help your organisation reduce its carbon footprint.

If you want to do something really inspiring and lead the way in terms of creating a more environmentally conscious working environment why not organise a fundraiser, or a work trip out to pick up litter or plant trees? Competitions also work well and setting targets for filling recycling bins, for example.

Spread the word and encourage your team and everyone in your organisation to think about how they could reduce their own carbon footprint and be kinder to the environment, not only at work but at home too.

By following these 5 simple tips London office workers can quickly and easily begin to reduce the carbon footprint, making a positive step towards helping to protect the environment in which we live.

Green cleaning to reduce your carbon footprint in the office

At Swift Office Cleaning Services, we are pleased to offer a green cleaning service which can be specifically tailored to your business needs.

From using products which have minimal impact on the environment to making sure we choose easily recyclable products.

We are committed to reducing our own carbon footprint too and are proud to have achieved ISO 14001:2015 certification.

This is an international standard which provides a framework for organisations to meet the challenges of climate change. 

To discuss your office cleaning requirements and for a free cleaning service quotation, get in touch with a member of the Swift Office Cleaning Services team on London 0203 405 8442 or Essex 01279 413 641.