An Environmental Black Hole? What Can Be Done to Limit Environmental Impact in the Office?

Collective responsibility often means no responsibility at all. While many of us do our bit to help save energy and recycle at home, by switching to energy efficient light bulbs for instance or sorting and recycling our household waste, it seems that when we arrive at the office we can wear very different hats. Incredibly, industry and workplace C02 emissions are still around 2% greater than those from all UK homes combined. Commerce doesn't usually bring individuals together for ideological reasons after all, so it's perhaps understandable that many, who do what they can in their own homes, may see the workplace through quite a different lens. Sometimes it's probably a case of not pursuing environmental issues as vigorously as we should with employers or colleagues, sometimes it's slipping-up ourselves, being carried-away with a lax office culture. But for those who still want to make a difference and without embarking on a career in politics there are simple measures that can be taken. Canon Copiers brings you the best...
According to the Carbon Trust, when looking at reducing energy use, it is businesses rather than households which stand to make the greatest proportional savings. In total, small and medium-sized businesses spend around £6bn a year on energy, £1bn of which the Carbon Trust estimates could be going to waste. By making simple changes to their energy habits, businesses can apparently cut around 20% from their energy bills. For a smaller or medium-sized company which spends, say £5000 on energy, the savings might not be as dramatic, but could still be around £400. And the lion's share of those savings may be achieved with measures that are low cost or cost nothing at all.