How green is your call centre?
UK office workers throw their green ideals out of the window when they enter the work place, according to a government research poll.
A new initiative is aiming to change green behaviour in offices and call centres throughout the country.
YouGov research has revealed that despite office workers’ efforts to be green at work they are being held back by a lack of recycling facilities, no environmental policy and cynical colleagues.
Green Office Week, which takes place from 26–30 April, is an initiative to educate office workers to make work places greener. The week aims to inspire employees to make changes and empower office workers with tips, advice, blogs and events.
92% of office workers believe that it is important for businesses to be environmentally responsible, but only 51% of companies have a green policy in place. Employees are sick of their employer’s laissez faire attitude to the environment and only 54% think their company does enough towards helping the environment.[1]
Simon Walsh, co-founder of one of Europe’s electronics recyclers said: “This research seems to qualify what a lot of the recycling industry always knew – employees are too busy and too lazy to recycle office waste. 70% of office waste is recyclable but only 8% is actually recycled[2].
“We spend a third of our lives at work, and businesses are responsible for 40% of the UK’s carbon emission – so it’s vital that offices start to take action.”
Here are five tips to make your workplace a greener space:
1. Place plants around your office. Not only will they enhance your work space but they can reduce air pollution in enclosed spaces.
2. Buy recyclable products, paper and wood products that are FSC-certified.
3. Recycle all old IT and electrical products rather than storing them.
4. Set up a green ideas scheme to encourage and reward colleagues who come up with novel energy-saving ideas.
5. Switch off computers, photocopiers and lights at the end of the day.
Tweet14 Apr 2010
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Comments on: How green is your call centre?
In addition to these good ideas, consider letting employees work from home whenever possible. There is a tremendous opportunity to reduce carbon emissions from auto exhaust and the pollution associated from public transit when employees do not have to travel to work.
Many people are “greener” at home than they are in public. There are many reasons for this; here are three: 1) they have a vested financial interest in keeping their utility bills as low as possible, and so are more likely to turn off lights and equipment when not in use; 2)their recycle bins tend to be more conveniently located and 3)they don’t waste packaging in either bringing meals to work or buying and discarding meal packaging during lunch breaks at work.
What other ideas are out there for keeping your workplace green?
Posted by Seth Brickner — 20 Apr 2010 @ 3:42 pm
Being involved with the office removal services, I read your post with great interest. We also keep our office clean and green, and use recyclable packaging materials for removal purposes.
Posted by Movers London — 26 Jun 2010 @ 7:22 am
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