Are you doing your bit for the environment at work? Here's how you can make a difference

Eco-pressure seems to focus on making householders feel guilty, but what about business? Around 40% of UK greenhouse gas emissions come from businesses and it's these emissions that are responsible for climate change. Every day it becomes more expensive for companies to operate in the UK. Rising energy and water bills are putting pressure on, but just like at home, it is easy to make small changes at work that will be better for profits and the planet.

The first move
After labour, the main environmental and financial costs for most companies are raw materials, energy and water. Waste and recycling seems to be the main focus for businesses, but reducing the amount of raw materials and water used in the first place would be a better option. Factories, offices and shops consume masses of energy and materials. Add this to the vast amounts of water used and mountains of waste produced in our workplaces and the environmental impact of our daily grind seem like hard work for the planet.

By using resources more efficiently you'll also save money - being more energy efficient can save around £1,000 per employee, which is guaranteed to keep the boss happy!

Waste can account for up to 4% of a company's turnover - a staggering cost of £15 billion for British business. Business waste accounts for over 90% of the UK's waste and as UK landfills become 'landfull', the cost of disposing business waste is increasing every year.

Rooting around
Some plastics, cardboard and metals such as aluminium are worth £60-£800 a tonne in recycling value. Why put your profits down the drain.. or in the bin? In the current economic climate it might just be the thing that saves the company and jobs too. What's more, as environmental legislation becomes tougher, failure to green up your business could leave you with stiff penalties and a bad rep.

'I'm an employee - what difference can I make?'

• Switch off your computer monitors during lunch, meetings and at the end of the day. We waste the equivalent of around two power stations' worth of electricity each year simply by leaving appliances on standby mode.
• Screen savers actually use more energy than an idle computer or one in screen blanking mode. You can save up to £35 a year or more per computer by activating system standby features.
• Choose eco-friendly products that have at least Energy Star rating 4.0. Even better look at companies such as Very PC that go far beyond these standards in saving energy. An energy efficiency computer could save £250 n electricity bills over five years.
• Use electronic communication rather than paper and add a note at the bottom of emails reminding the recipient to think before printing.
• If you must print, do it double-sided.
• Buy recycled printer cartridges and return used cartridges for recycling.

Reusable envelopes can cut mail costs. Look for envelopes manufactured exclusively on certified papers from managed forests, containing a minimum of 30% post consumer waste (PCW).

• Ditch the disposable cups and refill your mug at the vending machine.
• Order recycled products such as printer paper and hand towels.
• Send used mobile phones to your favourite charity - they receive money for recycling them.
• Remove individual bins and install centralised recycling bins.
• Recycle everything from paper and plastic, to cans and electrical equipment. Approximately 70% of office waste is recyclable so separate everything in bins. See www.recycle-more.co.uk for useful tips.
• Walk or cycle to work. Or if it's too far, use public transport or car share with a colleague to save on fuel costs.
• Switch off everything when you leave. That includes lights, monitors, radios and photocopiers.

'But I'm the boss, I'm too busy to worry about the environment!'
Not too busy to worry about the savings you could be making though. As well as paying dividends to our planet you could improve efficiency, morale and boost your profits with these energy saving tips.

• Think before you buy. Waste accounts for, on average, 4% of a company's turnover- so before buying new equipment, consider whether you really need it, how long it will last and what will happen when you're finished with it. If you must make new purchases check they're not overpacked and that any essential packaging is recyclable.
• Change to a green energy tariff which uses energy from renewable sources and ask your energy company for advice on energy saving devices and practices.

Provide incentives to your employees such as donating some savings to their favourite charity or putting it towards a staff party.

• Use low energy light fittings and bulbs. An energy efficient fluorescent bulb uses 20% of the energy of others and lasts 10 times longer, saving you £100 in its lifetime and reducing the cost of paying for hazardous waste. For a small office this could save around £6,000 per year.
• A popular myth is that leaving lights, computers, and other appliances on uses less energy than turning them off and also makes them last longer. In reality, the small surge of power created when some devices are turned on is vastly smaller than the energy used by running the device when it is not needed. Invest in a Bye Bye Standby - this is a new energy saving solution designed to save your business money and reduce carbon emissions. An innovative combination of 'smart' sockets and remote control enables you to take any appliance out of standby at the touch of a button.
• Fit water saving devices such as push button taps and dual flush toilets. Adding a hippo or a filled litre water bottle to each cistern can save three litres per flush.
• l Use jugs of tap water at meetings rather than bottled.
• Reduce the heating by one degree and you could cut your bill by 10%. 19