In this day and age, we all need to do our bit to help with the environment, and in the workplace, it is no different. Here are some ideas where you could not only help the environment but also save your business some hard-earned cash in the process.
Hand dryers instead of paper towels
Installing hand dryers in bathrooms and in canteens can seem like an expense that you can do without. The buying of a pack of paper towels can seem like a much cheaper option in the short term. However, this is just a false economy.
There is at no point a scenario where one paper towel is enough to dry your hands as most of the time they disintegrate on touching moisture, so multiples are used per hand drying session. They are also very unhygienic as they harbor germs, which is definitely something that needs to be taken into consideration.
The installation of hand dryers, however, is a relatively easy task. They are much more hygienic, especially the ones which are sensor triggered rather than the button type, and will keep your bathroom and canteen areas cleaner and much more appealing to your employees.
Recycling unwanted packaging
There are always options open for recycling unwanted packaging, whether it is with it being used again or actually broken down to be recycled at a recycling station. If your workplace has a lot of packaging to be recycled, you may find that it takes up a lot of room being stored while it is waiting to either be collected or to be taken away by a designated colleague.
Piles of cardboard or other recycling waste, which is left to collect into large mounds, can look very enticing to pests, as it can offer shelter and warmth from the rain or cold, shade and coolness in the hot sun, and it can also provide food and nesting sites for insects.
There are ways to sort out your recycling areas to clear them of the pest problem and keep the area looking clean. Suppose your business does tend to have a lot of items for recycling. Rather than letting it mount up, a good idea may be to get a compactor or recycling baler. There are many different types on the market depending on what you want it for, and there are savings to be had by purchasing a used or reconditioned machine. For more information about the different types of compactors and recycling bailers available and about second-hand prices, go to recyclingbalers.com.
Rethink your beverages options
Drinks machines tend to use plastic or waxed paper cups. Neither of these is good for the environment, especially when used in the quantities that some businesses drink coffee. Rethinking the way in which you can offer your employees their favorite beverage by using their own cups can save your business huge amounts of money.
Generally, the plastic cups that are offered from these machines are very small, so either your employees are bringing their own cup and filling up that cup with multiples from the machine and just binning the plastic cups, or they are making multiple trips in order to get the right fluid intake for themselves over the course of the day.
There are vending machines available on the market whereby you are required to place a cup under the drinks dispenser rather than use the plastic cups dispensed from inside the machine itself.
