In your office, your employees might enjoy congregating, chatting and munching in the company break room. Even though this can be one of the best parts of the office, it can also be one of the biggest sources of waste. Luckily, if you are looking to improve sustainability at the office, there are a few simple changes that you can make to help cut down on waste in the office break room.
1. Use Reusable Coffee Mugs
Instead of stocking the office break room with disposable coffee cups, ask your employees to bring in their own coffee mugs to use each day. Another option is to purchase a few coffee mugs to keep in the office. You can even order personalized coffee mugs with your company’s logo. It’s also smart to keep reusable cutlery and dishes for everyone to use, wash and put away.
2. Ditch Individually Packaged Items
Keeping individual packs of sugar or coffee creamer in the break room can be a huge source of waste. Instead, buy larger containers (such as from a warehouse club) that everyone can use. Not only can this cut down on waste, but it can save money, too.
3. Include Recycling Bins
Keep recycling bins in the break room to make it easy for employees to recycle plastic bottles, aluminum cans or other recyclables. Keeping your recycling bins right beside the break room trash can will help encourage regular use.
As you can see, there are easy changes that you can make in the break room. Making these changes can help reduce waste significantly while still allowing office employees to have a nice place to relax and take a break in the middle of a busy work day.
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