Last Updated on Mar 11, 2020 by James W
We’ve all been hearing of waste management, proper resource utilization and the three R’s- reduce, reuse and recycle. A good proportion of the population doesn’t seem to have belief in any such environmentalist approaches and the few who do, limit their actions to their homes.
Workplaces are the most neglected places when it comes to practicing judicious use of resources. Thinking that the stuff we use doesn’t really belong to us, we tend to forget about our basic responsibilities. As a result, offices need to bear expenses that may not be very conspicuous but somehow are able to minimize profit or maximize loss, whatever the case may be.
Cut down on electricity
Electricity wastage tops the list of unnecessary expenses in offices, especially where a number of gadgets are used. Though it may not appear like a lot of electricity being wasted, but a thorough inspection of the time duration for which the gadgets are needed to the time they are actually being used can account to an extent for a heavy electricity bill.To avoid this, make changes in the office’s lighting, air conditioning and other devices which will definitely reduce electricity consumption and this will be reflected in your next bill.
Make use of lights like the compact fluorescent ones that are highly efficient and also have longer life. Educate and encourage your employees to switch off gadgets when they are not in use. If your budget allows for an initial investment, go for automatic switches for bathroom and supply areas. By installing windows and skylights, you can make use of daylight to avoid using lights for some hours. Computers can prove to be major culprits when it comes to power wastage, therefore take care that they are shut off when not in use. Make sure to buy electrical devices only after looking for their efficiency label- the energy star label that indicates high efficiency.
Stationery items
Another bulk wastage is in form of office stationery. Paper is the most misused of all stationery items and adds considerably to your overheads. Whether it is printing paper or notepads, paper is required in large quantities in offices and thus employees feel it is fine not to worry about saving it. Reducing paper use requires you to make your employees more aware about it.
Consider using both sides of sheet for printing whenever feasible. Old and unwanted paper can be shred and used for shipment and when paper boxes are received in shipments, save them for future use. Recycling old paper has lot of benefits. Encourage employees to keep unwanted papers and files in recycle bins instead of dumping them in dustbins. Keep soft copies of documents and files and print them only if it’s very necessary. Reducing margins in your documents is a smart way of saving paper while printing. Reducing paper usage not just cuts down stationery bills, it is also a great way of managing storage space and has environmental benefits too.
Emphasize on the use of refills for pens instead of getting new ones each time the refills runs out of ink. As for printer ink, make color copies only when absolutely necessary. Print rough documents in draft mode which uses less amount of printer ink. Consider buying refills for printer cartridges- cost effective and eco- friendly. A reputed name in printer inks, cartridgeink.co.uk
deals in quality and affordable ink cartridges that help you cut down on your printing budget. Always go for products that are reusable or refillable. Most important of all, buy office supplies in bulk. Bulk purchasing of these supplies considerably reduces your expenses as you avail wholesale rates on them.
Other factors
Poor office interiors and design could be another factor that may be adding to your expenses without your knowledge. Low quality furniture may sound appealing but over a period of time, repairing and replacing costs far exceed the initial investment. Therefore avoid such losses by buying quality furniture.
Your office may be using high amount of electricity in the form of lighting and air conditioning. Dark colored paint on walls and lack of windows leads to darker spaces and you need to install more lights to make the space well lit. If ventilation in your office is poor, you will have to spend more on fans and air conditioners running all the time
Wastage is an outcome of inefficient processes and can be minimized by increasing efficiency, which in turn increases profits. For this, keep the three R’s in mind and keep the idea of ‘reduce’ on top. By saving small bits daily on these invisible expenses, one can be sure of minimizing losses caused by them. Moreover, it spreads healthy work practices in office and also conveys the message of doing minimal harm to the environment.
