Eco-friendliness is a growing trend which has caused many businesses to re-evaluate their current stance on climate change and opt for greener options in order to save the planet and appear more responsible as an organisation. Yet one of the biggest incentives to go green is the potential to reduce costs in your office. Being economically friendly can save you a lot of money, especially if your business is just starting out or you’ve decided to save the pennies for an exciting new development next year. Either way, going green is a smart way to save money and minimise your office costs. So how can you go about it?

Use recycled paper

It is increasingly cheaper to make products using recycled materials, so stationery items made from recycled materials such as recycled paper can be purchased at much more competitive prices when compared to new or original materials. Using recycled paper is a great way to reduce office costs for those businesses that have the printer running all day, also creating an opportunity to become extremely eco-friendly.

Install energy-saving light bulbs

There are many benefits to making the switch towards LED energy saving light bulbs, but the main benefit that appeals to financially careful businesses is the cost-effectiveness of this bright new technology. The brilliant thing about energy saving light bulbs is that they use very little energy which saves a large amount of money on electricity bills and is a great point to consider for the winter when days become darker earlier and light is needed. Of course because a lot less energy is used, these bulbs are additionally incredibly eco-friendly. They also last for around 10 years on average which in the long run saves huge amounts of money spent on purchasing new bulbs every 2-3 months.

Switch off lights and equipment when leaving the office

An obvious point in reducing office costs, but a crucial point that a lot of businesses forget. When leaving the office after working, have a quick scan of the office floor to be sure that all equipment and lights are switched off. This saves a lot of unnecessarily used energy and electricity and will reduce those bills. If it’s not being used, it doesn’t need to be active!

Cut down on heating use

Though winter is around the corner, there is no reason to go overboard on the heating in the office as there are many ways to stay warm without splashing out. First of all, do not heat unused areas as this is figuratively money down the drain. If there is no one to keep warm in the work space, then it doesn’t need to be heated. Secondly, when the work area is being heated, make sure all doors and windows are properly shut or the heat will escape causing the thermostat to be increased which is basically money out of the window. Lastly, check that your temperature settings are at the required temperature, as you don’t need to go over 20°. The required temperature setting for an office is between 18°-19°. Overall, reducing your temperature settings saves energy and money.

Use recycled ink cartridges

For businesses that may solely rely on print-outs or print a lot of essential materials, purchasing recycled ink cartridges is cost-effective and economic. Recycled ink cartridges are massively cheaper to buy than new cartridges and therefore this saves money on mass printing in the workplace. By recycling your used ink cartridges, this is also a big help to the environment as new cartridges do not have to be produced and less pollution is released into the atmosphere from their production.

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