GOW 2011 - Act on Opportunity

 Day 5 of Green Office Week is all about Opportunity.

Taking the time to encourage discussion and planning in your office on how to become more green and carry on your commitment to think about the environment.

Here are today's tips:

1:  Utilise the week as a way of implementing changes FOR GOOD and spread the message. Inspire others and have pride in your achievements! 

2:  Tell colleagues about what they can do to make a difference

3:  Publicise your company’s environmental policy, or draw up a simple one if you do not have one (an example is available on the Green Office Week website) 

4:  Tell suppliers and customers what you are doing and encourage them to do the same

5:  Add a strapline to your email sign off to discourage people from printing it.

So, at the end of Green Office Week, what have we learned and what will we be taking away with us? Well, same as least year it has helped to highlight where we could do better in things such as choosing suppliers, making sure everyone is recycling not just the key drivers. So over the coming weeks we will be updating our environmental policy and issuing a reminder to all staff about what can be recycled, saving energy, and only printing when necessary.

GOW 2011 - Act on Purchasing

It's Day 4 of Green Office Week and today is all about Purchasing. 

Today is all about the choices you make when buying new equipment, stationery, even cleaning products for your business. Today's tips are:

1:  Buy office equipment with an Energy Star label www.energystar.gov which rates models on their energy efficiency, saving you money and helping the environment.  
2:  Opt for multifunction IT equipment rather than individual faxes, printers, scanners and copiers  
3:  Chose a fast boil eco kettle over a conventional appliance.  
4:  Coordinate your stationery orders to reduce the number of deliveries to your office.
5:  Specify recycled products such as paper, envelopes, office furniture and stationery where possible.

BSS is a Konica Minolta dealer* and we have a number of the bizhub multi-function devices in the office that we use for printing, scanning and copying - when we need to. All of the Konica Minolta bizhub devices are built to be energy efficient and carry the Energy Star rating. They also print excellent quality documents, even on recycled paper.

We do watch what we purchase and try to buy recycled or more economical products when we can, make sure toners can be recycled, and take care when choosing suppliers.

* The Document Management Company is one of BSS' divisions, so if you would like to find out more about these lovely machines, have a look at www.thedocumentmanagementcompany.co.uk or call 01792 222 300 to speak to an engineer.

GOW 2011 - Act on Waste

Today for Green Office Week we are being encouraged to Act on Waste

This is probably one of the easiest, most practical and used methods for being green in offices, The three R's - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.

Here are today's tips from the Green Office Week website:  

1:  Use a bulldog clip to transform scrap paper into bound notepads for internal use or get the local printer to cut and bind some for you.  
2:  Donate used furniture and computer equipment to charities, youth groups and other local organisations 
3:  Re use envelopes, jiffy bags and cardboard packaging by over-labeling previous address details  
4:  Avoid using envelopes with plastic windows which are difficult to recycle   
5:  Set your printer default to double print using both sides of a sheet of paper

Reduce
We have a policy in place to ensure that only essential documents are printed to keep print wastage to a minimum, and do as much on-screen as we can. Any printing that needs to be done, we make sure is double-sided, where appropriate.

Reuse
Where it is practical to do so, we will re-use packaging such as cardboard boxes and padded envelopes. I have a box under my desk where any waste paper goes, which we form into notebooks for telephone messages or notes and can use for printing.

Recycle
We have a number of recycling points set up around the office to recycle paper & plastic. We also have a an arrangement with a company who collect & recycle any unused hardware.

GOW 2011 - Act on Transport

So, how did you do yesterday? Did you turn your computer off before going home?

Look around you, do you need all the lights and devices around you on right now?

It's day 2 of Green Office Week, and today we are asked to Act on Transport

Today's tips from the Green Office Week website are:

1:  Make conferences and off site events greener by offsetting miles travelled and energy used during the even.

2:  Hold a webinar or conference call instead of travelling to a meeting 

3:  Choose a venue that’s accessible via public transport and provide public transport information to delegates.  

4:  Set up a car share scheme for people who live close to each other  

5:  Encourage people to use public transport over cars and taxis where possible – this also cuts down on parking costs and fines!

Personally, I find this one a bit more difficult to tackle. My husband works in the same office as I do and we do come to work in the same car. We also have one or two members of staff who will come to work on their bikes when practical. Unfortunately, it is not especially easy to get to our office, or many of our clients' offices for that matter, by public transport.

However, we do try to cut down on travelling as much as we can, without compromising on our service, and we will use public transport when it is available. As a web and IT services company we have a number of tools at our disposal to be able to offer support and training remotely. We also conduct as much of our business as possible via email and telephone, which reduces mailing and printing costs as well as travel. 

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for more updates.

GOW 2011 - Act on Energy

Today, Green Office Week are asking us to
Act on Energy

We have been monitoring our energy consumption for quite some time as a way of saving money as well as reducing our impact on the environment. It is amazing how much of a difference the little things can make.

For example, instead of automatically turning on every light in the office when we get to work in the morning, only the ones we need are switched on and all the blinds are opened to let the natural light in. As well as saving energy, the light bulbs last longer and everyone feels better seeing some sun....when it's out!

Any computers and equipment that are not needed to run backups or other systems are switched off at the end of the day, and all power saving settings are set where practical.

We all share the same printers via our network to reduce the number of machine we need to have running, and these are only turned on when needed.

We have also made sure that everyone in the office looks at what they are doing to check that equipment is not left on, cables are unplugged when not in use - and  I think we've all become a dab hand at making sure we only boil the water we need when making a cuppa, plus making the tea in rounds means the kettle is only boiled once.

Here are some more great tips on staying green at work.

Green Office Week 2011

This week is Green Office Week 2011. We took part last year to help raise awareness among the staff at BSS and our customers and are happy to be involved again this year.

We blogged throughout the week last year and intend to do the same again this year, sharing the changes we are making. If you are also taking part, let us know & check back on this blog to leave your tips.

To find out more & take part yourself, visit http://www.greenofficeweek.eu

Feel Good Friday - Green Office Week 2010

Today's tips are:

1. Display your Green Office Week window sticker with pride
2. Turn your radiator down one degree and keep it there
3. Tell your local and trade press what you've done
4. Share tips and feedback
5. Tell everyone in your office how much energy & money you've saved.

 (Source: http://www.greenofficeweek.eu/Green-Office-Week-26th-30th-April/Friday-Feel-Good/}

Think Ahead Thursday - Green Office Week 2010

Yesterday was Waste Not Wednesday, and am pleased to say that again we already had most of the practices in place.

Today's tips are:

1. Save cash & make friends - find someone to car share with tomorrow
2. Set up a green ideas scheme with encourages and rewards green thinking
3. Try a teleconference rather than travelling to your next meeting
4. Go walkabout in your office & find 5 things that need changing
5. Read the Green Office for Dummies Guide

(Source:  http://www.greenofficeweek.eu/Green-Office-Week-26th-30th-April/Thursday-Think-Ahead/)

Waste Not Wednesday - Green Office Week 2010

Yesterday was Choose Right Tuesday, and I think we had a bit of a head start as we already did tips 1, 3 and 4, and with toner cartridges we make sure we recycle any that we use.

Today's tips are:

1. See if you can go the whole day without printing any emails
2. Remove individual bins & replace with recycling bins
3. Arrange for dripping taps to be repaired
4. Reuse old envelopes and packagaing
5. Turn off mobile phone chargers at the socket

 (Source: http://www.greenofficeweek.eu/Green-Office-Week-26th-30th-April/Wednesday-Waste-Not/)

Choose Right Tuesday - Green Office Week 2010

Yesterday was Make a Start Monday, the first of Green Office Week. As far as the tips went, we did ok - all except for buying a plant - however I will definitely have one before the week is over.

Today's tips are all about making the right choices whether purchasing, throwing away, even drinking your tea.

1. Reject plastic cups and invest in a mug instead
2. Opt for a cycle courier rather than a man with a van
3. Order FSC approved environmentally products where possible
4. Use a bulldog clip to transform scrap paper into notepads
5. Request remanufactured toner cartridges

(Source: http://www.greenofficeweek.eu/Green-Office-Week-26th-30th-April/Tuesday-Choose-Right/)

Make a Start Monday - Green Office Week 2010

Today is Make a Start Monday, in conjunction with Green Office Week.

At BSS, we are environmentally aware, and I have blogged previously about being a Green Web Design Comany, but there is always room to do a little bit more!

Today's Tips are:

1. Pledge your support at www.greenofficeweek.eu 
2. Spread the word
3. Buy a plant for your desktop 
4. Switch off all electrical equipment before you go home
5. Find out what environmental policy your company has

(Source: http://www.greenofficeweek.eu/Green-Office-Week-26th-30th-April/Monday-Make-a-Start/)