Remote work has proved beneficial for not just businesses and employees, but also the environment. Fewer vehicles on the roads and lower rates of emission in the past year have greatly reduced air and noise pollution in cities across Canada and the world.
By putting an end to daily commutes for majority of people, remote work is already contributing towards reducing our carbon footprint. Since most of us will be working out of our home offices for the foreseeable future, we’ve compiled 5 simple ways you can ensure your home office is kinder to the environment.
Make the most of natural light
If possible, set up your workspace in an area of your house that gets the maximum natural light. This will reduce your use of artificial light at work during the day.
You could also choose greener options in artificial lighting, such as LED light bulbs. LEDs are safer for the environment (no toxic mercury), more energy efficient and typically, have a lifetime of 25,000 hours.
Reduce waste
Smart substitutes can help you cut down the waste created in your home office and kitchen. For instance, you could use a whiteboard or a dry erase paint wall to brainstorm or take notes instead of using sticky notes or sheets of paper. Or you could switch to smart notebooks (which are reusable) and do your bit to waste less paper.
Printing both sides, using recycled paper, digital subscriptions to magazines and newspapers are some other ways you can save paper.
Since you are working from home, you could also ditch disposable cups, plates, plastic cutlery, and paper towels for micro-fibre cloths and utensils that can be reused.
Avoid buying bottled water and take your own reusable bags when doing grocery.
Unplug energy devices and switch to smarter options
Devices such as microwaves, TV, and ACs consume power even when they are not in use. Make sure you unplug electronic devices when you are not using them to save energy.
Use laptops instead of desktops as they use less energy and switch to a smart thermostat, which can intuitively adjust the heating and cooling in your house based on occupancy and save you money.
Eat local and seasonal
Now that you work from home, opt for home-cooked meals instead of ordering take-outs. Pick locally sourced, seasonal produce. Not only is it fresher, it has also travelled less distance. It has required less transportation, refrigeration, and packaging, due to which it has a much lower carbon footprint.
Besides eating local and supporting your local farmers, you could also consider reducing your intake of meat. Try one meat-free meal in a day or once a week. This helps the environment as livestock production contributes to 18% of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.
Buy second-hand furniture
It is recommended that your home workspace be ergonomically designed to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. You can still source good quality second-hand or refurbished office furniture on sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji. This would help reduce waste and save you money.
Bonus tip!
Switch to an online staff management software like BrightHR.
You can say goodbye to paper trails, filing cabinets and reduce waste at your physical workplace, too, when you switch to BrightHR. It is a secure, cloud-based HR management software, which is ideal for managing staff remotely.
BrightHR offers unlimited document storage space and can be accessed via mobile too. Read our blog on how BrightHR makes scheduling shifts, marking attendance, and even tracking staff vaccinations convenient for you.
It is the perfect tool to help you manage the unique demands posed by COVID-19 in the workplace.
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To get more information on how our software can help you manage your business and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, call us today: 1-833-247-3652.
