The movement towards making a change in everything we can do to help the environment has been aggressively pushed onto society for decades. Most households are committed to environmental sustainability. If you have a business where people spend most of their day, then a “cleaner greener” system should also be put in place as part of your workplace culture. There is considerable pressure from the public for brands to adopt practices in the office and in the production of their products. Sustainability now must be proved as of the marketing mix in any company, making it transparent for the public to see “how” they play their part in contributing to a better environment. Some brands thrive because of their promise to create products as eco-friendly as possible.
At The Uniform Edit, we run a very eco-friendly office. Here are some of the things we do to continue to help out Mother Nature at our headquarters.
Sustainability
We are committed to creating quality products and are continually improving our manufacturing processes. We want to provide sustainable dresses, shirting and that lasts longer. As most are aware, fast fashion has a detrimental impact on our environment since it ends up in landfill once disposed of. We are working towards becoming a sustainable clothing brand. We also hold ourselves accountable for educating our customers on caring correctly for their uniforms in maintaining the condition of their work wardrobe clothing.
Filtered Water System
We have always provided a filtered water system straight out of the tap and a cupboard full of drinking glasses to avoid staff buying bottled water or using plastic. Some of the other traditional bottled water coolers commonly provide single-use plastic or paper cups.
Coffee Machine
An office essential we take seriously at TUE is caffeine. These days a jar of instant coffee and a kettle isn’t enough for the average 9-5 worker. Our coffee culture has become all about the espresso caffeine fix. To save our team money and another one-use paper cup and plastic lid, we have always supplied coffee pods and a Nespresso machine with a variety of milks in the fridge for staff to make their own morning and afternoon coffee.
Recycle Set Up
Most of us do this at home, so it’s easy enough to do at work. The thing is, offices create a lot more rubbish and usually a lot more recyclable packaging waste. However, the general recycling bin might not be big enough to cover your recyclable trash, which means you will have to hire an additional rubbish/recycling service. The benefits of more easily manageable trash and contribution to a better environment far outweigh the additional cost of these kinds of wastage services.
Energy Use
Where you can – save it! What’s the energy rating on your electrical goods? Do you need to leave computers on after hours? Check the sleep mode settings are on if you do. Keeping computer equipment up to date is not only more efficient for its usability, but they tend to also be more energy-efficient too. This includes computer accessories – like keyboards and monitors. Are you still using fluorescent and other old-school light bulbs? Consider investing in all LED lights. They use up to 80% less energy and will last a lot longer. Also, just like at home – turn off lights, aircon, and fans at knock-off time. Also, be mindful to set the heater/cooler temperature at energy-efficient levels.
Cleaning Products
Many find it hard to always use environmentally friendly cleaning products since they are not as strong as the regular type, but if more workplaces get into the habit of this, imagine how many fewer litres of toxic chemicals will go down our drains. Not only that – these less harsh products are better for your own health.
The All-Purpose Printer
All offices by now are going paperless where they can. E-forms emailed to clients to sign online, or use an iPad for clients to give you their digital signature at the click of a button, instead of wasting paper and pens. It’s also important to recognise how many machines are used for different purposes. The fewer machines, the less wastage, and more energy is saved. Printing is still essential for many businesses. Can your printer fax, copy and print double-sided? Also, are the ink cartridges refillable?
Consider What Else You Can Do
If you want to really make your workplace green, get a large plant or two. Not only are they interior design-savvy, but they also absorb toxins in the air and provide more oxygen.
