Many companies would benefit from making a commitment to the environment. Nicole Holgate looks at the best ways to get started
Making a company environmentally friendly can appear to be a mammoth task, but showing willingness and commitment within your own office is the first simple step on a rewarding journey.
In terms of accreditation, the ISO 14001 sets the standard for environmentally friendly procedures in business and is part of the European Union’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. Marie Sever, a consultant at Quality Systems and Training (QS&T), has helped many businesses gain certification. “You can put environmental measures in place, but many companies [looking for a client or supplier] expect accreditation, especially public authorities,” explains Sever. According to QS&T, businesses that achieve the standard state that they have reduced waste and done more recycling; won business, particularly in the public sector; increased profits and gained professional integrity through their green credentials.
Nicola Amos, founder of Nicky Amos CSR Services, comments that “a high proportion of FTSE 250 and an increasing number of SMEs are now certified.” Amos’s company also helps corporates to put in place an environmental management system. This monitors what resources a company uses and how they might be reduced, including aspects such as transport, fuel and packaging. She adds that measures typically involve practical elements such as setting printers to print double-sided and turning off lights. A thorough assessment of energy use can result in a site saving of between 10 and 20 per cent of a yearly energy bill.
Once a business has put the appropriate measures in place, they approach a certification body such as the British Standards Institution (BSI) to be assessed. The BSI follows up with them yearly to ensure policies are maintained. Sever admits that you don’t need the help of a consultancy to gain the ISO 14001. “You can do it yourself, by purchasing the BSI handbook online”.
Whether aiming for ISO 14001 or not, Amos recommends all businesses start an environmental management scheme to concrete policies and instil good practice in employees. Companies can begin by looking at what is required for the certification and simply choosing measures appropriate to them.
Above all, she says, it is important for every member of staff to feel involved. Amos adds that the business case is clear, but that within a company individuals need to see that they are making a difference. She recommends taking office waste bins away so that staff members assess more carefully what they throw away. Holding events such as a ‘stationery amnesty’ can engage people and make recycling office products more fun, while colour-coded stickers around the workplace can reveal the amount of energy an appliance uses, reminding staff to switch it off.
“Everyone fits into the bigger picture,” she concludes. As with all environmental measures, every single thing can make a difference.
For more information, visit qsandt.co.uk and nicky-amos.co.uk
File under ‘green’
To begin your office’s journey to environmental excellence, start with the equipment on your desk.
ExaClair has introduced an exclusive range of lightweight filing, organising and presentation folders. The collection features a variety of files, folios, cases, boxes and binders and the plastic used to produce the range means that every product can be recycled.
Avery has also focused its energies on making an extensive number of office products, from labels and dividers to desk accessories, more eco-friendly. The DTR Eco range is fully recyclable; black products are made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and blue items are 96 per cent recycled.
Finally, to help customers monitor the amount of paper they are using to print, Brother has developed a Duplex ‘printing calculator’ that works out how much money you could be saving by printing two-sided documents, as well as informing you how many trees this would save.
