While many of us understand the importance of maintaining a clean office, few of us consider how environmentally ‘clean’ our cleaning methods are. From not recycling to using toxic chemicals, there are many ways in which our efforts can damage the planet. Below are just a few ways in which you can make your office cleaner and greener.
Recycle your waste
Recycling waste puts less demand on landfill sites and also reduces the need to pillage the earth for new materials to make new products. Plastic, metal, glass, paper, cardboard and even food waste can be recycled.
By ordering new bins for different materials and scheduling waste removal of these bins, you can make sure that recyclable waste gets recycled. Meanwhile, when refurbishing your office
, it’s worth hiring skips from green waste removal companies – this can ensure that old office furniture and appliances are disposed of correctly.
Use eco-friendly cleaning products
Many disposable cleaning products aren’t very eco-friendly. Some come in plastic containers that aren’t biodegradable, making them destined to sit in landfill sites for centuries to come. Others contain chemicals that are harmful to the atmosphere and waterways.
When choosing cleaning supplies, try to choose recyclable options like blue roll and cleaning liquids in rPET bottles. You can also look into organic cleaning liquids as opposed to chemical ones. There are stores online that specialize in eco-friendly cleaning supplies that are worth browsing. Compare different brands to find the top rate and most affordable options.
Keep air quality clean with office plants
Office plants have air purifying qualities. In fact, some are capable of removing VOCs from the air and even mold spores.
Plants are of course great for the environment as they help reduce carbon emissions while producing fresh oxygen. This makes them worth having in your office if you’re looking for ways to become greener.
There are also many other benefits to growing plants in an office – some studies suggest that they can help boost concentration and even improve productivity. Such plants could include desktop plants or large floor standing potted plants. Just make sure that these plants are regularly watered and that they get enough sunlight (you don’t want an office full of dead plants).
Avoid chemical air fresheners
Covering up bad office smells with air fresheners is bad for two reasons. Firstly, you’re not actually addressing the source of the smell, but simply covering it up. Secondly, most air fresheners contain artificial chemicals and aren’t very eco-friendly because of this.
You can buy organic air fresheners to help cover up odors. However, the best way to deal with office smells is to tackle the source. Musty smells caused by mold may be a sign that there is damp or a leak. Kitchen smells could meanwhile be caused by spillages that have been ignored. Meanwhile, when it comes to bad bathroom smells, you can make sure that odors are reduced by providing good quality ventilation and regularly cleaning toilets.