Monday 5th June 2017 was World Environment Day. Organised by the UN, World Environment Day is an annual day for "encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment"; it was first held in 1974, and it has only become more relevant and more important as the environment has changed and environmental threats have been brought into sharper focus.
Since the news is currently saturated with election news and other big stories, you may well have missed that it was World Environment Day earlier this week. However, there's no wrong time to think green, so in the spirit of World Environment Day 2017, here are 3 quick tips for making your business that little bit greener:
1. Look everywhere for opportunities to save energy.
When it comes to reducing energy usage, every little helps. Look for places where electricity is being wasted on your premises, even in small amounts: are you leaving lights on when it isn't necessary? Are people forgetting to turn their computer monitors off at the end of the day? Are you turning the heating on when it isn't needed, or leaving it on even once everyone's warmed up? This attitude - looking everywhere for possible improvements - can be applied to all kinds of other wastage, too. Are you using too much printer paper? Failing to recycle office waste properly? Handing out printed payslips when you could be using an electronic system?
2. Switch to eco-friendly products.
Many common workplace items can be replaced with more environmentally sound alternatives if you're so inclined. Look for recycled printer paper, energy-efficient light bulbs, and computers (and/or whatever other machines you rely on) with good energy ratings. Again, look all over your premises and ask yourself which of the things you see could be swapped for something greener.
3. Implement an ISO 14001-compliant environmental management system.
ISO 14001 is the globally-recognised standard for environmental management systems, and if you plan and implement an EMS that complies with ISO 14001 requirements, you will be ensuring that your organisation is minimising waste and limiting environmental impact.
If you need help implementing an environmental management system and achieving ISO 14001 certification, please call NPT Management Systems on 02380 659 867 or email enquiries@nptmanagementsystems.co.uk to discuss your company's requirements.
