1-Prefer train over plane for business travels

Choosing the train over flying not only cuts CO2 emissions per passenger by 90%, trains offer greater schedule flexibility, more comfort, are often both cheaper and a faster more relaxing way to travel across Europe since they travel from city centre to city centre and require little time for boarding.

2-Turn off electronics, lighting, and heat every evening

Upon leaving the office, all the equipment must be switched off at the main plug.

3-Choose sustainable office products

Buy efficient electronics and ecological cleaning products.

4-Invest in reusable plates, silverware and serving utensils

Reusable silverware is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to cut down on plastic and paper waste during catered company lunches.

In addition to the usual forks, knives, and spoons, it’s also helpful to have a set of reusables serving utensils on hand, rather than relying on the disposable utensils provided by the catering company.

5-Install motion-activated light switches

Improve energy efficiency immensely by installing or swapping in motion-activated light switches. These are a particularly great solution for conference rooms, since they are often separated from the central office space and are less frequently used.

Rather than relying on employees to switch-off the lights as they leave or enter, motion-activated lights are human proof: they save energy automatically.

6-Go paperless

This tip almost seems trivial given the digital age we now live in. From cloud storage services to digital pay stubs, the need for paper and printers in the workplace has rapidly decreased in past two decades.

Diminish the temptation to print by reducing the number of printers in the office.

7-Introduce clearly labeled trash, recycling and compost bins

Every employee should have access to recycling bins, which could be located at central points.

8-Institute a BYORB policy (Bring Your Own Reusable Bottle)

Bringing our own bottle, tumbler, or coffee mug to work is one of the easiest and healthiest eco-initiatives to institute in the office.

9-Set-up a bike rack for employees

A bike rack is a relatively easy, one-time investment that can have a huge impact on how our employees commute into work.

It will not only encourage our employees to be more active, but also get them to reconsider the environmental impact of driving into work each morning.

10-Invest in smart power strips

Devices that are off but plugged into an outlet still draw power; this phenomenon is called phantom or standby power. Rather than relying on humans to unplug all their gadgets, the smart power strip does the work for them by shutting off the power to products that are in standby mode.

11-Decorate the office with plants

The benefits of office plants are numerous. In addition to their aesthetic value, plants can help reduce our office’s carbon emissions as well as naturally purify the air in our office.

12-Incentivize greener methods of commuting

Incentivize commuting by public transportation means.

13-Donate or recycle old electronics

Remove unnecessary clutter from our office by recycling or donating old electronics. Most electronics are made from valuable resources and materials, such as plastic, glass, and metals, that require a significant amount of energy to mine, process, and manufacture.

14-Install LED bulbs

Compared to traditional incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs, LED bulbs use 75% less energy and can last more than three times as long.

This will ultimately help us to cut costs and reduce our carbon footprint, since LED bulbs are non-toxic and recyclable.

15-Use glass bottles or a smart cooler machine for drink water

This way we will significantly reduce — if not eliminate — the need for plastic bottles and cans in our office.

16-Business cards/ Annual report made from recycled paper

Use of recycle paper should be overall promoted.

17-Renewable Energy

We eliminate GHG emissions from electricity usage, as 100% of the electricity consumed by EUROFIMA, comes from renewable energy sources.