More and more New Zealanders are thinking about the environment. Reducing our personal carbon footprints at home is popular, with people doing everything from recycling rubbish to conserving water and electricity. But with so many of us spending the week on the job, making our workplaces eco-friendly may be even more important.

Here are five common issues faced by office workers, and practical ways to help reduce your impact on the environment when you’re away from home.

Problem 1: Driving to work

In 2015, road vehicle emissions made up 37 per cent¹ of all CO₂ produced in New Zealand, equaling around 12.7 million tonnes for passenger cars, trucks and vans.² That’s nearly three tonnes for every person in the country. It’s also heavier than New Zealand’s most popular vehicle in 2017, the Ford Ranger, which only weighs a little over two tonnes.³

Solution: Eco-friendly transportation options

 

• Walk or bike – Your carbon emissions will be nil, and you could see some big health benefits, too!
• Public transport – This option could also help you save money on petrol, road tolls and car maintenance.
• Carpooling – Share a ride to the office with colleagues, or travel with neighbours to the nearest train station or bus depot.

 

Problem 2: Energy use at home when telecommuting

Working from home a couple days a week—or full-time, if you’re lucky enough—could be greener than going into the office. However, the carbon emissions saved by not commuting can be offset by high energy usage at home.⁴ Making your telecommuting experience as eco-friendly as possible could help change this.

Solution: Green your home office routine

 

• Keep to one room – Only turn on lights, run a fan or use electronics in the room where you’re working.
• Avoid chores – Run the dishwasher or washing machine during off-peak hours in the evening, instead of during the day.
• Go to the office on hot days – Take advantage of the office aircon when the temperature rises. It will be running anyway, and saves you from using your home unit.

 

Problem 3: Single-use cups

New Zealanders use 100-200 million disposable cups each year.⁵ Most of these are tossed in the bin after use, adding to greenhouse gas production in landfills or becoming litter in our streets and waterways. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to help solve this problem.

Solution: Go reusable, and dispose of cups properly

 

• Buy a reusable coffee cup – Cafés often fill up thermoses or travel mugs for takeaway customers, and may even offer a discount on your drink!
• Get a water bottle for your desk – Cut down on the number of single-use paper cups you use and the number of trips to the water cooler.
• Compost your cup – Many takeaway cups are compostable. Discard them in bins for food scraps and other biodegradable packaging, or add them to your compost pile at home.

 

Problem 4: A wasteful lunch

Each year New Zealanders throw out over 122,500 tonnes of food—enough to feed the city of Dunedin for two years!⁶ Then there’s the non-food waste that often comes with packed lunches: plastic sandwich bags, takeaway cutlery and paper napkins. Packing a better lunch could help clean up the planet.

Solution: Reusable lunch boxes & more

 

• Pack leftovers – Eating leftovers from yesterday’s dinner or lunch can keep good food out of the landfill and help stretch your food budget.
• Invest in reusable items – Swap disposable, single-use items for a reusable lunchbox, washable cutlery, food storage containers and cloth serviettes.
• Eat nearby – Team lunch? Suggest a nearby restaurant you can walk to instead of driving somewhere.

 

Problem 5: Wasted resources

Bins for recycling are common in many workplaces, especially for paper. Take you efforts one step further by reducing the amount of paper and other resources you’re using to begin with. If possible, start office-wide initiatives to get everyone on board.

Solution: Reduce and reuse

 

• Think before printing – Before sending a document to the printer, ask yourself if you really need a hard copy. If the answer is “yes,” print on both sides of the page to save paper, or use old one-sided printouts to take notes.
• Stock reusable items – Ask your office manager if the office kitchen can stock washable dishes, cutlery, glasses and tea towels for employee use instead of disposable versions.
• Power down – Reduce electricity use by setting computers to sleep mode rather than to a screensaver. When you’re the last to leave the office, turn off the lights before heading home.

 

For more ways to help the environment, start in your own kitchen! 

 

1. Ministry of Transport, Vehicle Emissions
2. Ministry of Transport, Annual fleet statistics 2015 report; Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2015 report
3. NZ Herald, Ford Ranger remains NZ’s most popular car for third year in a row; Ford.com.au, Ford Ranger Model Details
4. Environmental Science & Technology, Energy-Related Emissions from Telework
5. Food Lovers, Single use coffee cups
6. Love Food, Hate Waste NZ, What we waste

 

 

About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.

TAGS: environment, work,

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