One-Time Switches Your Office Can Make to be More Sustainable

Sometimes it can feel like a burden to keep up sustainable practices. Sometimes this involves buying those special products, making an extra trip to the store or the recycling center, or even having to put out more money to buy something online and pay for shipping. Luckily, there are some one-time switches your office can make toward sustainability that you won’t even have to think about again.

Ditch the single-serve coffee maker

In recent years, the single-serve coffee maker has become so popular that it has become the staple of many offices and homes. The Atlantic cites statistics saying that the amount of coffee pods bought from Keurig in 2014 could circle the globe 10.5 times. Single-serve coffee pods are not recyclable, and they end up in landfills. Bringing a drip coffee maker into the office could save hundreds, or even thousands, of these pods from the landfills per year. As an added bonus, coffee grounds are one of the best things to put in the office compost! If your office doesn’t compost, send them home in a reusable container with someone who composts. 

Buy full-size condiments to share

On the topic of coffee, keep sugar and creamer in the office in full-size packaging, not single serve packets or containers. This will help cut down on the amount of waste created during break time. Likewise, any condiments in the office like ketchup and mustard should also be purchased in full-size containers rather than packets. The classic condiment packets are not conventionally recyclable and add to waste in landfills. Bottled condiments, on the other hand, generally come in either plastic or glass packaging that is recyclable. 

Start an in-office “crop share”

A crop share in the office could be as simple as a basket in the break room with a sign that says “bring in your extra produce.” Everyone has over-prepared for a party or to try out a new recipe before and has gotten stuck with too many onions or tomatoes. Garden vegetable plants always seem to over-yield toward the end of the summer, too. By sharing produce this way, less food will go to waste overall, and you’ll even foster an increased sense of community within the office. 

Make recycling cans accessible (or make some tasks paperless)

If someone has to walk across the office to recycle that one stack of papers they’re just dying to get off their desk, that stack is quite possibly just going in the trash. If all employees have an accessible recycling can, they’re more likely to recycle. There may also be some tasks in the office that could be made paperless, which would save paper, save trees, and save money. 

Sustainability is invaluable, and a sustainable office doesn’t have to be high-maintenance. There are steps you can take to make your office more sustainable that you almost never have to think about again.