6 habits that promote a sustainable workplace!
Over the last few decades, the awareness of individuals and
businesses toward the environment has led to an increase in the commemoration
of events like Earth Day, Biological Diversity Day, and many more. People from
every country are engaged in discussions around sustainability, diversity, and
the concept of going green. To facilitate a healthier environment, energy
conservation, and pollution drop, the U.S. Environmental Agency has created a
term named Green Offices, which
refers to an environmentally responsible and resource-efficient structure. This
shift in the business conscience has led to many questions. Are we failing to
be sustainable in our offices on a daily basis? Is your organization investing
and prioritizing enough in the health and well-being of the workplace? The
answers may vary from company to company, but the reality is people are trying
to do their bit for a better tomorrow. However, sustainability isn’t something
that can be achieved overnight or done in a specific time zone; and long-term sustainability
is a result of mutual collaboration.
Though it takes collective efforts, commitments, and support
from everyone to stimulate a sustainable world, the business community holds
unique leverage to drive that positive change. In today’s fast-growing world, profitability
isn’t enough for a smooth-running business; society also expects organizations
to serve as active stewards of a healthier planet. Moreover, from a commercial
standpoint, consumers tend to lean towards buying products from or investing in
companies with a proven record of social responsibility.
80% of consumers are more persuaded to support enterprises and brands with a history of sustainability.
The transformation to an eco-conscious organization begins
from scratch and needs the involvement of your employees, stakeholders,
clients, and vendors. To succeed in your sustainability mission, every person
needs to believe in your vision and practice environment-friendly habits in
your workplace. There are various accessible and cost-effective measures you
can choose from to leverage your sustainable workplace initiative. Here are the
top 6 habits that promote a sustainable workplace and can be practiced by
everyone in the office.
Top 6 Habits That Promote a Sustainable Workplace
Over time,
we have deployed and developed several bad habits, such as overconsumption of
energy, carbon emissions, unsustainable wastewater, plastic and paper waste,
and many more. While the planet hurtles toward an obscure tomorrow, we are all
completely ignoring the facts and moving to an outrageous end. The U.S.
accounts for over 236 million tons of municipal solid waste and 7.6 billion
tons of industrial waste annually. Moreover, 50% of the waste produced by
businesses is paper-based. Nevertheless, it is evident that practicing even
small habits at your workplace can help reduce the damage caused to our planet.
For instance, it only takes 1 ton of
paper recycling to save over 26,500 liters of water, 682.5 gallons of oil, and
17 trees. Let’s dive into such habits that organizations can effortlessly
and efficiently employ in their workplaces.
●
Promote a paperless
office
The
paperless office is a concept that has been discussed over the years through
numerous debates, conferences, and environmental programs. Yet, we all have continued
using paper in our offices and daily lives.
In the U.S., 12.1 trillion sheets of paper are used in
offices per year.
Did you
know? –
⮚
One single piece of A4 paper creation needs 10 liters of water.
⮚ Paper production accounts for 42% of the global wood harvest.
⮚ Every tree produces enough oxygen to help three people breathe.
The pulp and paper industry is the third-largest industrial
polluter of water, air, and soil. Paper manufacturing units use chlorine-based
bleaches, resulting in toxic materials being released into the air, water, and
earth. In addition, when a paper decays, it emits methane gas, a gas that is
25X more toxic than CO2. These devastating numbers are enough to know the
importance of paperless offices. To our surprise, offices can reduce paper
waste by 50% just by reusing paper.
As businesses grow digitally, the need for emerging
technologies has become imperative. One such technology is the electronic signature.
Employing e-signatures in workplaces not only helps save paper costs but also
reduces the waste associated with paper usage, vehicle costs, fuel costs,
printer and scanner costs, and electricity costs. E-signature is an intelligent
solution that can transform your organization and helps you achieve sustainability.
Moreover, going paperless helps reduce your carbon footprint, eliminates human
errors in the processes, and makes documentation secure and legally binding.
The paperless offices:
⮚
Increase employee productivity
⮚
Increase sustainability and agility in workplaces
⮚
Reduce paper waste
⮚ Reduce carbon footprint
⮚ Save the planet from hazardous gases and toxic material produced during paper
⮚ production.
Establish monthly Green challenges
Going green cannot be done in your free time; it’s a matter
of habit, which requires consolidated efforts from everyone. Creating monthly Green
challenges for your teams will not only promote a green initiative but keep the
teams engaged and focused. You can also evaluate the overall performance of
employees and roll out rewards to keep them productive all the time. The
monthly green challenges may include reducing waste in the workplace,
eliminating paper usage, less consumption of power, ditching single-use
plastic, planting trees on the office premises, and so on. Moreover, you can
add a habit of using light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs as they consume 30 times
less power than regular ones. Employing a suitable e-signature solution would
do wonders in your green office initiative. Electronic signatures help reduce
paper waste, eradicate single-use plastic such as pens and refills, and
diminish the need for storage, as electronic documents can be easily stored on
the cloud without any hassle. Sending documents back and forth for review and
signing accounts for fuel costs, traveling costs, and carbon emissions, which
can be completely stopped using of e-signatures.
●
Rescind printing
practices
Nowadays, printers and scanners have become an inseparable part of organizations. Businesses deal with several functions and respective teams, which produce tons of new data daily. To keep this data secure and intact for future transactions, businesses use printers and scanners in large quantities, again indirectly increasing the damage to our planet. Even if you reuse the sheets of paper, that’s 50% you could do for a sustainable workplace. Moreover, you can do it electronically; it is easier than ever to scan, store, and send/receive documents electronically. Using an e-signature solution helps secure your documents and keep the signing records without the need to actually print or scan the document. This also leads to lessened power consumption, and so a kick start to your green initiative comes to pass.
Read our blog about ‘Invest In Our Planet’ by Embracing E-signatures!
●
Encourage a new commute
to work
Transportation is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases trap heat and endorse a warmer planet.
Transportation contributes 27% of total greenhouse gas
emissions.
The greenhouse gases emitted during transportation usually come from burning fossil fuels for trucks, ships, cars, and planes.
90% of petroleum-based fuel, such as gasoline and diesel, is
used for transportation.
Every day,
thousands of employees travel to work by their personal vehicles. Additionally,
businesses use transportation for several things, such as conferences, contract
signing, sending/receiving documents back and forth, documents and forms sent
to onboard new employees, and many more. When you decide to take a walk or use
public transportation, you contribute to curbing air pollution and global
warming. As a new way of commuting to work, you can try using public transit,
carpooling, and minimizing manual paperwork to diminish the need to travel.
In the United States, the effects of using public
transportation save 6 billion gallons of gasoline annually.
In addition, communities investing in public transit reduce 63 million tons of the nation’s carbon emissions annually. Businesses can even embrace smart solutions such as digital signatures to minimize the need for travel for documentation.
● Promote hybrid working
The remote and hybrid work revolution has revealed several new opportunities for private organizations, government agencies, and universities. Incorporating hybrid work practices not only helps save real estate rent and utilities but also eliminates the overconsumption of power, reduces office waste, and eliminates traveling impacts. After the COVID-19 breakout, employees are increasingly looking for hybrid or remote work options.
According to a survey, 44% of gauged employees were in favor of hybrid work culture.
Promoting a
hybrid work culture will help you save on several expenses and promote the
green initiative and a sustainable workplace. The fewer the number of
employees, the lesser the waste, and the greener the premises would be. With
the use of e-signature software, hybrid work has become more convenient. You
can send, receive, sign, and store documents from anywhere, anytime, and
through any device. Sealing the critical deal from your comfort zone takes only
a few minutes with digital signatures.
It will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, paper waste, and single-use
plastic.
●
Reuse and recycle
On a daily
basis, a lot of items such as coffee cups, plastic pens, refills, Styrofoam
plates, plastic storage, paper, etc., are used in the offices. To get rid of
them after their use, we usually throw them in the garbage that straight goes
to the landfills and waterways. Over time, these materials have produced toxic
materials that harm nature and human lives, the effects of which are more than
visible today. A simple practice of reusing and recycling can help curb this
waste produced by offices. Try to reduce paper usage or recycle paper sheets,
ditch plastic materials, bring small plants to your desks, and recycle plastic
storage. This will help leverage your green initiative and promote a sustainable
workplace.
It doesn’t
cost much to keep the office premises clean and sustainable. Changing just a
few habits and get you closer to your Green Goals. Incorporating the above
practices into your work culture will help you promote sustainability. DrySign
e-signature platform not only streamlines business processes but contributes to
the organization’s green initiative. Start DrySigning and witness the visible
results!
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for general
information purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Laws
governing the subject matter may change quickly, and Exela cannot guarantee
that all the information on this site is current or correct. Should you have
specific legal questions about any of the information on this site, you should
consult with a licensed attorney in your area.
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