The Green Pages has just put out their 2009/10 Business Directory which Smoothmoves Relocations is proud to be a part of.  To be included in the Directory, a business must comply by strict criteria and quality control set out by the Green Pages mangement.   In fact, Smoothmoves is extremely proud to be the only removalist in the new directory.

Within the Green Pages directory, we have found the '20 Office Tips for a Greener Workplace' has some great suggestions.  Have a look at these suggestions and see if you can impliment some of them into your workplace.

01  Multiple Bins

Put in place a multiple bin system with one for paper, one for glass, one for plastic and one for food scraps.  In particular, put a paper recycling bin next to everyone's desk and make sure it goes into the recycling system and not into general waste.

02  Green Events

When holding a conference or other large event try to reduce its environmental impact.  Buy locally, choose energy-efficient and environmentally-aware venues that are using GreenPower and offset any remaining emissions.

03  Green Power

Many Australian electricity retailers offer the option for customers to receive energy only from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal.  By making the switch, you save on emissions and drive demand for renewable energy.  For informaiton see www.greenpower.gov.au

04 Green Team

Esablish a 'Green Office' team or committee to implement ongoing energy efficiency strategies and other enviromental parts of the business as possible; you'll be surprised who will come up with great ideas.

05  Compost

Consider getting a Bokashi bin or a worm farm for your food scraps and and the keen gardeners in the office can take it in turns to take the final product home.

06  BYO Mug

A lot of coffee shops that service large office buildings offer the option for you to bring your own mug - just think of how many plastic or paper cups you won't be using over the course of the year.

07  No Plastic Cups

And while you're at it, ban disposable plastic cups from the office and paper ones too.  Have enough crockery and glasses for everyone in the ofice plus visitors.

08  Light Layout

Move office furniture away from windows to maximise natural sunight.  This means less electricity use, lower costs and a more work friendly environment.

09  Use dishwashers

Filling the dishwasher up and using it on the economy cycle uses far less water and electricity than everyone washing up their own glasses and mugs as they go.

10  No Hardcopy Reports

Use on-line (verses hard copy) versions of items such as annual reports and information memorndums.  Cut and paste necessary information and/or print only those pages instead of the whole report.

11  No Bottled Water

Besides being expensive, bottled water has a huge environmental impact due to the amount of plastic needed to package it and the energy used to transport it around the world.  Help put a stop to this rort by installing an efficient, under-sink water filter system or a water cooler and give staff drinking glasses or permanent alloy water bottles (from any camping store) that can be used throughout the day.

12  Public Transport

Cars generate 41.7 million tonnes of Australia's overall cardon dioxide emissions and heavy traffic generally reduces the liveability of a city.  Encourage your employees to use public transport, consider supporting them financially by covering the upfront cost of an annual train, bus or ferry pass in return for instalment out of their wages.

13  Car Pool

If you do need to use your car - perhaps your office isn't on public transporting route - consider car-pooling with others in your office or offices nearby.  It takes a bit of organisation to get people in the car but you're potentially taking three cars off the road that day and reducing traffic and emissions.

14  Shower Power

Riding, walking or running to work is a great way to stay fit, reduce carbon emissions and peak hour congestion.  Encourage your staff to make te switch by providing bike lock up areas and showers for your staff in your office.

15  Reuse CDs

Consider phasing out write-once CDs in favour of rewritable CDs or memory sticks.  While the may cost a bit moe, these can be reused many times saving resources and money in the long run.  Better yet, add password protected download and websites such as 'YouSendIt' to your computer applications so staff and clients can download documents without the need for sticks or CD's.

16  Buy recycled

Buy paper that's recycled or comes for a Forest Stewardship Council accredited supplier (see www.fscaustralia.org for more information).

17  Reuse Station

Set aside a splace in your stationery cupboard for used envelopes, bags, single-sided printed paper etc. so they can easily be re-used or recycled.

18  Re-cartridge

Buy recycled ink and toner cartridges.  Reconditioned or remanufactured printer, photocopier and fax machine ink/toner cartridges are available for many brands.  If your brand of machine doesn't allow these sort of cartridges to be used (some don't) consider switching to one that does when you refresh your equipment.  Also make sure you take spent cartridges to a certified recycling facility rather than just putting them in the bin.

19  Low-VOC

Many building materials such as paint, wallboards, adhesives and ceiling tiles can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, which contributes to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).  If your're fitting out a new office or renovation an old one, consider using low VOC-emission materials.

20  Original Green

Fill your office with plants.  Ideally you want one plant for every person in the office.  There are all sorts of advantages for having office plants such as cleaning the air of carbon dioxide, looking nice and just generally improving the look and ambience of the office.

Source:

Green Pages  - The Business Directory 2009/10

Pages 22 - 23

http://www.thegreenpages.com.au/

Published: 10 September 2009