Individuals consistently utilize the expression “carbon footprint” to portray their individual impact on the environment, yet the time has come to think about it in a more extensive context. A ton of damage is being done by industry. As the need to reduce energy consumption and waste becomes more urgent, think about the improvements you can introduce to considerably reduce your company’s carbon footprint.
An approach worth starting with is performing an audit to evaluate which areas your facility is performing best or worst in environmentally. Once you’ve assessed the situation, try to involve employees in reducing the carbon footprint. Set clear goals so people know what to aim for, and reward those who perform well. Financial incentives will generally push people to work their best. Regularly check back on the progress to make sure no one is slacking.
Employees can get involved by actively recycling waste, using less paper and not leaving any appliances on standby overnight. Modernizing refreshment facilities can also make a big difference. If you’re still providing disposable plastic or paper cups with your water cooler and coffee machine, switch to reusable equivalents. Make sure to provide clearly marked recycling boxes to motivate people to throw each item like milk bottles and drink cans in the correct receptacle.
Think process, not technology. By itself, no technology on earth will reduce paper, hence we need to look at those processes in our organizations which are paper intensive. By following a single process from start to finish, we can identify where documents are required, and whether that step in the process could be improved by using sustainable technology.
If we can manage a process electronically, then for many organizations the immediate temptation is to implement a scanning project. This in itself is not a bad thing and may resolve the flow of physical paper through the offices. The challenge we have is that it doesn’t get rid of the paper. This still flows into the mail room, from whence it is gathered and scanned, and often then stored in its original paper format. So despite having an improved internal process, we haven’t resolved the environmental issue. To compound this, most outputs from the process are still in the form of paper print-outs.
Analyzing the process must include understanding the nature of the inflow of documents. If most of the incoming documents are in paper format, then the organization should look for ways to reduce this. At least three current technologies will help a great deal here. E-Commerce allows transfer of information between organizations and systems without it being transformed into paper during the process. This has been around long enough, yet still isn’t used enough. E-forms should also be considered, as this can significantly reduce the volume of paper. Lastly, the use of fax servers or routers can help by sending the electronic fax directly to the recipients desktop.
Heating and lighting are important to employee safety among other factors. Install a timer system that turns off heating at the end of the working day and switches it back on a few hours before employees arrive the next morning. Lighting can be improved by changing light bulbs to eco-friendly models and making sure all lights are turned off when people head home at the end of the day.
If your equipment and machinery are aged, it may no longer comply with modern environmental standards. Introduce a rolling replacement scheme to avoid having to spend a huge sum at one time. When replacing existing equipment, buying new or renting, make sure it’s designed in accordance with modern guidelines. Look out for labels certifying products as the most energy efficient and “green
Consider the machinery you don’t often require too. In case of a power cut, for example, you may need to supply back up electricity. Always make sure the industrial generators you use are highly efficient and as green as possible.
The sustainable technologies already exist, so it is our mindsets that are the limiting factor at the moment. Negotiation with our major trading customers and suppliers, a willingness to change, carefully implemented policies, and a phased approach towards green processes will take us a long way towards improving the efficiencies in our organizations, at lower cost and a cooler climate.
Reducing carbon footprint is part of the social responsibilities of individuals or businesses and should be properly addressed and supported. There are many ways and programs on how carbon footprints can be mitigated, and making the choice and shop electricity from green energy sources is one of the most effective ways for this to commence.
