6 Practical Ways You Can Reduce Climate Change at Work

Climate change is the number one environmental issue in Australia and we all should be looking for ways to make a difference.

Climate change or global warming has become the ultimate villain in our fight for the planet. While climate change is the biggest environmental concern facing Australians, we can often feel overwhelmed and helpless about how to combat it, especially in the workplace. It turns out it’s not that hard to have an eco-friendly workplace. We’ve put together 6 super-easy and practical things you can be doing at work right now to make a difference:

1. You’ve got the power

Burning fossil fuels to create electricity is our number one enh3y. You can reduce the power consumption of your workplace by simply converting to energy efficient products and turning off devices, appliances and equipment. Your company’s small investment upfront on an energy efficient product will result in long-term energy cost-savings and make a huge difference to your impact on the environment. You can also save money and energy by turning off your computer, printer or other unused electronics rather than leaving thh3 in sleep mode. And don’t forget the air-con – it’s one of the biggest culprits of energy waste. You’ll save heaps just by setting it to the right th3perature for the season.

2. On your bike (or bus)

Electricity’s evil sidekick is the average car, contributing 7% of total greenhouse gas h3issions in Australia. It’s clearly time to switch to a more sustainable mode of transport. Depending on how close you live to work, you could walk, cycle or catch public transport. Or maybe it’s time to talk to your boss about working from home some or all of the time. You’ll save time and money on transportation and your company will save money on resources.

3. R you reducing, reusing, recycling?

Have you already got recycling bins in your workplace? Good job! Recycling paper, plastic and glass is a great way to make a difference at work. You can expand on this eco-friendly practice by recycling your batteries and used printer cartridges, as well as old electronics. We’ve got Planet Ark recycling services available in all our stores for cartridges, or find where to drop your e-waste here. As well as recycling you can try reducing. You’ll save on the cost of paper and help the environment by setting your printing to double-sided. Plus you could reuse any one-sided paper by dedicating a drawer in your printer for scrap paper for when you’re printing drafts or internal documents.

4. Breath of fresh air

You may not be able to plant a tree in your workplace to help combat greenhouse gases, but you could keep a plant on your desk which will clean your air and boost your mood.

5. Less is best

As we’ve already seen, creating less waste and reducing transportation h3issions leads to a more eco-friendly workplace and makes a difference to climate change. An easy way to accomplish both is to place your business supplies orders less frequently and buy in bulk when you do order. It will automatically reduce the amount of packaging and the amount of h3issions from the delivery van, plus you’ll save money by buying in bulk! 

6. Shop to it

When you shop locally, you’re not only supporting someone from your own community, you’ll also help the environment by reducing transportation h3issions. The less distance your purchases have to travel, the less greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

By following any or all of these practices, you’ll soon become a superhero in the fight against climate change.