Make Hay Ethical E-Media

Whether its on Green Girls Global or in the Make Hay newsletters I’m always talking about ways that we can be greener at work.

The reason I go on about it so much is because its really easy yet the benefits can potentially go a long way.

I was glad to see The Big Green Switch run a feature this week on ‘Going Green in the Workplace‘. They break down the various aspects of an office based workplace and what we can do to make it greener. Check it out at www.biggreenswitch.co.uk/workplace

A few more things that I would have liked to have seen included in their feature are:

Green Electricity: Switch to a green energy provider for your office. There are quite a few alternatives available nowadays and you can find out about them on the Energywatch website

Save Water: Save water in the office as you would at home by using a ‘Save-a-Flush’ bag (or something similar) in the loo. A lot of UK water companies will send them to you if you ask.

Green Website Hosting: Although the company website isn’t strictly ‘housed’ in your office it is a large part of your business. Your website can be hosted on servers which are run on renewable energy. Take a look at our Green Website Hosting service www.green-hosting.co.uk

Write an environmental plan: It might not be easy to implement your new green practices straight away so write an environmental plan or policy along with the key decision makers and those responsible for ordering goods for the office. Using such a plan can help you commit to making green changes as well as setting more targets for the future.

Well, actually knowing about the electricals you use for your business is much more than etiquette, it’s about working ethically and being responsible towards the environment.

We all need to use computers for our day to day work, that’s just a fact of life. On top of that there are printers, mobile phones, laptops and the list goes on. So, how do we ensure that what we’re buying has the most electrical efficiency and least environmental impact? Plus what should we do with electricals when we don’t need them any more?

Buying Electrical Equipment
There are online resources available to help you find out about the electricals you’re buying and the companies who manufacture them. Use these kinds of guides when considering new computers, mobile phones and other equipment for your office and show manufacturers that you want only the highest environmental standards:

* Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics - Number 8
* Energy Star Product Guide
* Gooshing

Need to WEEE? Yes, you do.
Once you’ve finished with an old computer or printer you could donate it to a charity or community group (making sure it is safe to use and confidential and sensitive data has been completely removed first).

However, there will be times when the appliance is broken and of no use and this is where the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive should be observed.

The WEEE Directive exists to reduce the amount of EEE which goes into landfill and ensures that it is treated and recovered instead. The WEEE directive applies to all kinds of businesses including those which simply use electricals for regular office use. The Environment Agency provides clear and useful information on responsibility of disposing of EEE and how it affects businesses and organisations like yours.

Visit the ‘Business users of EEE: your responsibilities‘ page to find out more and download the free fact sheet for businesses.

Also see www.envirowise.gov.uk and www.netregs.gov.uk for more on reducing waste in your business.