Office-based Businesses

Whether you’re working in your own building, a rented office or at home, one of the most effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint is by addressing your energy consumption. You can find general tips to help you do this in Section 2.4, but below are some additional tips that are more specific to offices.

As well as thinking about the energy you use, you should also consider the items you buy (such as more sustainable office supplies), the way you travel to and from the office, and the waste you produce. General tips can be found in Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.5, respectively.

Remember, even if you’re in a rented office, you are still lots of small changes you can make. If you’re considering relocation, prioritise office spaces that have already implemented some of the key wins listed below.

Quick Wins

Ensure power saving features on electrical equipment such as laptops, computer screens and speakers are turned on.
Use a white board to minimise paper use during brainstorming activities or group discussions.
Provide reusable bottles, glass cups, and durable coffee mugs for staff to minimise plastic waste.
Set your printer default settings to print double-sided and in black and white.
Install signs to remind staff to ask themselves if they really need to print documents or emails. On larger multi-function scanner printers, you can often limit access to certain people or track their usage.
Make sure staff know what waste should go in each bin, especially confidential waste (to avoid the extra energy and costs of shredding). You can find free posters and stickers at WRAP UK.
If possible, refill your printer toner cartridges or purchase recycled toner cartridges. When you’re done, organisations like Cartridges 4 Charity can collect your empty cartridges for free.
Avoid single-use stationary items with short lifespans. Sometimes, paying a little extra for higher quality items or reusable options will save more in the long run.
Encourage staff to use tap water (if this isn’t suitable, install a filter or chiller water dispenser).
Instead of purchasing single-use catering items like sugar sachets or coffee pods, buy bulk alternatives (prioritising organic and/or Fairtrade items if possible).
Remove personal waste bins at every desk and replace them with central office bins. Ensure recycling bins are larger and more numerous than general waste bins to encourage recycling.
Purchase paper and stationery with high recycled content and from sustainable sources. Look out for FSC certification and PEFC logos when purchasing wood products.
Consider replacing single use paper towels with reusable/ washable towels in bathrooms and kitchens.
Have regular discussions with your colleagues about other actions you could take as an office to reduce your footprint. You could even appoint environmental ‘champions’ to take responsibility.

Medium-Term Wins

Go paperless as far as possible in all activities, such as invoicing (you might need to upgrade your data storage systems to do this).
Leasing equipment (furniture, copiers, IT, mobiles), or buying remanufactured, will save money, smooth cash flow and reduce waste to landfill.
If you no longer need furniture or electronics, sell, or donate them before they get damaged or become obsolete.
Replace hand towels in bathrooms with electric hand dryers. You can often lease these or make them part of your specification during a refurbishment.
Speak to your waste contractor to see if they recycle specific waste you generate a lot of (e.g. crisp packets). Specialist companies like Terracycle may be able to provide dedicated collections for harder-to-recycle waste streams.

Long-Term Wins