Climate change has continued to be an ever-present force shaping lives. While many individuals are doing their best at home to go green, many companies and larger corporations remain a few steps behind. This, collectively, creates a significant environmental issue to address, as industrial and corporate contributions make up the bulk of carbon emissions.
However, there are a variety of methods available that can help businesses reduce their environmental impact and make them more energy-efficient workplaces, whether they’re being implemented as part of an existing business strategy or make up the building blocks for a new enterprise.
From The Ground Up
For businesses just taking off or looking to start in a new location, creating green commercial structures can be an excellent way to shrink environmental impact and to create energy-efficient workplaces. It might be a bit of an investment — just like preparing to sell a house — but the end result will be well worth it. The right building materials and methods can reduce construction waste and limit how much ends up in landfills, while also creating an energy-efficient structure.
Recently, modular offices and buildings have become a popular choice among those seeking to create environmentally-friendly spaces. Modular constructions reduce energy consumption during the building process by around 67% and reduce energy costs later on for occupants. However, this is not always a viable choice for every business, as it usually only applies to companies seeking a new physical location.
Inventory And Impact
Another way that many businesses could reduce their carbon footprint and create a more energy-efficient workplace is by changing the way inventory is kept and how many resources are directed towards that inventory. The digital era has changed the way many people shop for common items, such as clothing. For example, as of August 2017, women’s apparel was the number one top-selling item on the internet. Consumers now expect that these items will be delivered in record time straight to their doorstep.
However, this desire for immediate delivery creates an issue for green businesses; storing and shipping large amounts of products creates a significant amount of waste and pollution. Instead, companies could consider using digital methods to help reduce the amount of items that need to be at the ready at a given time. Processing orders more efficiently through digital means can be an effective long-term strategy when it comes to decreasing emissions.
Managing Equipment For Efficiency
Even in businesses that are aiming to operate in a more eco-friendly way and create more energy-efficient workplaces, there are a few steps that can be taken to improve day-to-day efficiency. For example, not all equipment in a business, particularly in manufacturing, requires the same conditions to operate.
While load cell and torque sensor units are designed to operate in a wide temperature range of -452 degrees F to 450 degrees F, not all of the equipment surrounding them will be able to handle the same range. Therefore, it’s crucial for businesses to ensure all machinery conditions are ideal as often as possible.
Regular maintenance and awareness of environmental factors on machine degradation can help extend the lifetime of machinery, meaning fewer resources will need to be used due to less frequent replacements. Additionally, the right operating conditions and maintenance can lead to decreased energy use for similar output.
Daily Changes, Impressive Results
Not everyone in a workplace will have the authority to enact larger-scale changes like new buildings or machine maintenance. And when attention shifts from project to project almost every 10 minutes, it can seem like a long road to your energy-efficient paradise. In these cases, small contributions can still help towards creating an ecologically-minded environment.
For one example, consider the standard amount of printing handled in an office. The average office worker prints 10,000 pages per year, at an average cost of $725. However, many of these physical documents could be managed digitally. Switching to digital documentation can drastically decrease the amount of paper wasted in an office.
Likewise, including more recycling programs and fostering company awareness of environmentalism can help on an average employee level and create a more energy-efficient workplace. Even making changes to employee birthdays could help out. While 71% of people love celebrating their birthday, it’s possible to do just that without all the disposable tableware.
Green living is often a challenge many people grapple with at home but continuing to consider the ecological impact in the workplace could also help curb the overall climate change issues. By using a variety of these strategies, businesses can create more energy-efficient workplaces that help limit environmental impact on many different levels.