AdvantEdge Workspaces Blog

April is home to Earth Day and Arbor Day, two celebrations that implore us to be more mindful of mother nature and our personal impacts on the planet. Being eco-conscious can extend beyond our lifestyle and into the way we conduct our business. Read below for five environmentally friendly work practices that will help your business “go green”, from working from home to being back in your workspace.

1. Move to Digital

This pandemic has forced many companies to move all their operations online. While there are inconveniences and technological difficulties that arise, people are seeing that somethings truly do not need to be on paper or happen in-person to be successful and efficient. Corporate travel, physical copies of items, and unused workspaces are all things that can be reduced or eliminated with the right tools. As we eventually return to the workplace, consider keeping some of the changes you've made during this time in place, such as videoconferencing or using services like DocuSign to help cut down on paper usage.

2. Create a Task Force

To help promote environmentally-friendly practices at work, create a team of employees whose goal is to keep people engaged. Task them with planning virtual talks, lunch and learns, and with providing easily implemented tips and tricks. By getting your team involved, you’ll be able to create a work atmosphere where “going green” isn’t just a buzzword, but a way of conducting business.

3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This phrase has been around for a long time for a reason- it’s an easy motto to keep in mind when making an effort to be more environmentally friendly. "Reduce" can be the amount of travel you do or even the number of new office items your company buys each year. "Reuse" could be using the backs of sheets to take notes and eliminating single-use plastics. As for "recycling", make sure each person on your team is educated on how to recycle items at work and create incentives for producing minimum waste, such as a prize for the person who can get their office trash to fit in a small jar at the end of the quarter.

Additionally, keep the environment at the forefront when you need to make purchases, such as getting new business cards made out of recycled paper or turning to digital marketing instead of printing flyers.

4. Join an Environmentally Friendly Workspace

When we all eventually return to physical offices, make sure your workspace is aligned with being environmentally friendly. The building should be LEED-certified and offer recycling options. At AdvantEdge Workspaces, our shared services, such as the printing room, help reduce individual waste. With our cutting edge videoconferencing technology, you can skip driving to that meeting downtown, and may even find yourself second-guessing whether you’re not really in the same room with others.

AdvantEdge provides the perfect mix of having your own individual office space with shared resources, which is an inherently environmentally friendly practice. As we keep sanitizing surfaces and keep things up and running during these times, we await welcoming new clients back into our spaces who see the value in working solo (or with a team) while still enjoying the “green” benefits of community amenities.

Throughout the pandemic and beyond, you can make a concentrated effort to reduce your carbon footprint at work. Small actions add up and are often not only good for the planet but also for our wallets. For further inspiration, click below to learn more about AdvantEdge’s environmentally friendly business practices!