Every day, our earth deteriorates. Our oceans fill with more and more plastic, endangered species die off one by one, and oxygen-producing plants are eliminated. This is just the beginning of the harm. According to NASA, there has been a concerning trend in global temperatures over the previous year, with heat records being broken Every Single Month. It is high time we realized the consequences of our actions. What will we do if we lose this planet? Do we have Planet B?
As we search for solutions to mitigate the damage and preserve our environment for future generations, one area that holds tremendous potential is the workplace. Sustainable workplaces are not just a trend; they are a way to meet our needs without compromising the planet and the ability of our future generations to meet their own needs.
Why focus on a sustainable workplace?
Offices, with their enormous workforces and resources, play an important role in the transition to a more environmentally friendly future. In India alone, there are almost 471 million working professionals and 1.6 million registered businesses. Imagine the impact if all of them adopted sustainable practices! Here’s how we, at Sankey Solutions, are doing our part and how you can too.
1. Minimize paper use
Going paperless is a simple but effective approach to reducing waste. As the world becomes more digital, we focus on reducing the use of paper. From onboarding documentation to certificates, everything is available online at Sankey.
Transitioning to digital documentation and minimizing paper use can save millions of trees. If each of the 1.6 million companies reduces their paper usage by 50%, this could save approximately 16 million trees each year.
2. Volunteering Activities
Sankey participates in a variety of volunteer activities such as donation drives, beach clean-up drives, tree planting drives, and so on. These activities fill our employees with empathy, gratitude, a feeling of purpose, and accomplishment while also allowing us to give back to the community.
Our beach clean-up was a one-of-a-kind experience; it was terrible to see our cherished Ganpati idols scattered around the sand, moreover, the heavy metal pollution caused by idol immersion can affect the ecosystem by killing fishes, damaging plants and stopping the natural flow of water.
However, every year, employees at Sankey Solutions participate in beach clean-up activities, picking all the idols, garlands, and plastic lying on the beach and taking a small step towards a cleaner beach. Moreover, Sankians are motivated to use biodegradable Ganesh idols for their celebrations.
Biodegradable Ganesh idols are made of clay, paper mache and cow dung. While paper-mache constitutes recyclable paper, clay and cow dung components are soluble when immersed in a water bucket. Once clay idols soften, the clay can be conserved to create the idol again next year! This becomes a crucial step towards recycling both the clay and the water used in the process.
Use this as a reminder to use biodegradable materials to make our treasured idols.
3. Tree Plantation
Plants are essential for improving air quality because they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, in one year a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange.
Sankians have been planting saplings for the past 3 years, and this year we planted saplings of Banyan, Almond, and Tulsi, which are effective in producing greater oxygen, as compared to other plants. Our tree plantation efforts are much more than just planting trees; they’re also about nurturing them so they thrive.
Each employee took an oath to ensure that their saplings develop into magnificent trees, promising to care for and maintain them as they mature.
4. Donate or Recycle Old Electronics
Electronics contain valuable materials that demand a large amount of energy to manufacture. Every day, new and improved computers emerge. To make the best use of our old laptops, we routinely hold training sessions for underprivileged students, teaching them how to use laptops and explore numerous career possibilities. Following these sessions, we donate our perfectly functional laptops to them.
Devices that are no longer in excellent condition are recycled through proper E-waste management. Recycling recovers valuable materials from old electronics that can be used to make new products. Moreover, when e-waste is improperly discarded, it can emit dangerous levels of smoke, toxins, or other pollutants into the air and soil. Therefore, by having a proper e-waste management system, we save energy, reduce pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save natural resources by extracting fewer raw materials from the earth.
5. Smaller Steps Bigger Impact
REUSABLE DISHES:
We use reusable dishware for all our clients and events. By doing this, we reduce the amount of single-use plastic and paper waste, while encouraging a culture of sustainability among our employees and clients. This helps us promote responsible consumption habits and lower our environmental footprint.
CONSERVE ENERGY:
We have placed posters throughout the office to remind our team members to turn off the lights and AC when not in use. This reminder encourages Sankians to be energy-conscious, which lowers unnecessary energy use and our collective carbon impact. These little things added together have a big impact on our energy-saving efforts.
REUSE OFFICE DECOR:
Repurposing decor for different occasions helps us minimize waste. By creatively reusing decorations, we not only conserve resources but also foster a culture of sustainability in the workplace. This technique also motivates the employees to think of ways in which they may support environmental conservation regularly. It’s not about taking one huge step; it’s about taking these little conscious steps every day.
How else can you boost sustainability in your office?
Becoming a greener firm entails implementing sustainable practices and lowering environmental impact throughout all elements of the business. To properly achieve this goal and develop a greener office, the following steps can be taken:
- Install Motion-activated light switches to save energy.
- Replacing traditional lighting with LED lighting. This step can reduce energy use by 75% alone.
- Keep drapes open during the day to lessen the need for artificial illumination.
- The days of simply throwing things away and not caring about the environment are over. Clearly label waste bins to separate trash, recycle, and compost.
- Choose recycled or eco-friendly products. If even 10% of companies innovate in this area, it could lead to a substantial reduction in environmental impact across various sectors.
- Storing 1 terabyte of data in the cloud has a carbon footprint of 2 tons annually.Deleting unnecessary emails and files can reduce this impact.
Conclusion
All of these are just words if actions don’t follow, and the biggest obstacle to going green is changing human behavior. It involves understanding the impact of our actions and taking responsibility for them. Each person, each action, each step counts; no matter how big or small.
Start small, with activities that are manageable, even outside the office. Add compost bins to your house, plant trees, avoid using plastic straws or tissue paper, and carry cloth. And, of course, be responsible for your waste disposal.
By adopting these green practices, we can significantly reduce our environmental footprint and set a positive example for others to follow. Let’s make our offices not just places of work but hubs of sustainability. Together, we can create a better future for ourselves and generations to come.
Feel inspired? Share your own sustainability tips and stories in the comments below! Let’s make a difference, one step at a time.
– Mansi Chopda
(HR Executive)