SIMPLE WAYS TO GREEN OUT YOUR OFFICE!

With the impacts of climate change becoming fast apparent throughout the world, many of us here at Inka began to step back and wonder - what can be done to soften the blow to our beautiful planet? This exact question is what pushed us to join Who Gives A Crap with their #PlasticFreeJuly challenge!

Now as July comes to a close- we believe it’s a great time to reflect on what we’ve learnt over the past couple of weeks, and share some super easy tips and tricks to help your workplace minimise their carbon footprint, just like us!

So here we have it, 5 simple tips on how to reduce your office’s contribution to climate change.

1. Go Paperless

We know it’s nice to just write things down or print things out sometimes, but did you know Australians use about 1.72 million tonnes of printing and writing paper each year, that’s around about 40 million trees! Going paperless will help you significantly lower your office’s carbon footprint. And if you can’t go completely paperless, try starting with stopping printing and copying within your workplace.

Instead of printing out your latest motivational quote to stick in the break room, send your team members a weekly email - cue your fantastic motivational quote paired with a cute baby animal GIF.

2. Say Goodbye to Single-Use Coffee Cups

Ahhh yes, nothing says good morning like a steaming cup of coffee to turn your brain on for the day. But with a lot of coffee-loving Aussies using single use cups - we manage to throw out over 1 billion coffee cups every year. It’s actually one of the largest sources of pollution, especially because these cups have a plastic lining that means they can’t be recycled. So our next, surprisingly easy, tip is to trade out your disposable coffee cups for a reusable KeepCup! These cups are designed and created to last, they believe the less we use the better - and that’s 100% correct. They are super easy to wash and are a perfect way to minimise your carbon footprint. The cups themselves come in various sizes and materials, depending on your preference. There are also various cafes that will give you a discount or special service when you bring in your own cup. Check out your local cafes to see if you’re in for a surprise! To purchase your own KeepCup, click through here.

3. Choose a brand that makes a difference

We think it’s important to direct our money towards a company devoted to giving back to the community. For us, that can be either a charity or a brand or both, as long as they are actively working to make a difference. At Inka, we love Who Gives A Crap - a toilet paper brand that’s a lot more than just toilet paper. In fact, they were the masterminds behind the #PlasticFreeJuly challenge.

The company put 50% of their profits towards improving sanitation and building toilets in developing worlds. Their aim is to create a more sustainable planet, one toilet paper roll at a time.Yep, you read correctly. Even something as simple as changing the toilet paper you use can make a difference in the world. If you’d like to jump on board this awesome initiative, click here to grab your rolls!

4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We think it’s super important to note that reduce, reuse, recycle is 100% correct. You should firstly aim to reduce the amount of waste you use, reuse what you can and then finally recycle what you have to!

Yes you read correctly, recycling. It’s the most obvious way to green out your office - but it can also be the most confusing. Recycling, when done correctly, has endless benefits to our environment. The process significantly lowers the amount of waste heading to landfill and incinerators - which then further prevents pollution! It also reduces the destruction of natural resources like wood, minerals and water. However, a lot of people are unsure about what they can and can’t recycle.

If the idea of recycling scares you, fear not! We’ve created a quick and easy do’s and don’ts guide on what to put in your recycling bin. Stick it above your office bin for an easy workplace guide! Click here to download your copy.

5. Invest In Some Indoor Plants

It’s time for you to embrace your inner green thumb and buy your office some indoor plants. Not only do plants look amazing in your space, they also have heaps of health and environmental benefits. Going back to year 10 science, plants are vital to our ecosystem as they inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen - the complete opposite of what we do.

Indoor plants will eliminate harmful toxins in the air, making the air fresher and easier to breathe. Studies also have found that the presence of plants can significantly reduce stress levels – making them perfect for the workplace. Like a puppy or a child, we understand indoor plants come with a responsibility. But we’ve done some research and found some of the easiest plants to look after in your office. Our recommendations are:

• Spider Plant

• Cactus

• Devils Ivy

• Snake Plant

So now that you are armed with some quick and easy ways to make your office more environmentally conscious, how are you going to get everyone else in your workplace involved? We think the most important piece of advice we can pass on is - DON’T make this a boring, compulsory task! Sustainability is fast becoming an important trend amongst younger generations and saving the planet is not only incredibly important but it’s also seriously fun.

Think outside the box when you start to implement your environmentally friendly initiatives in the office. Maybe you can run a competition! Each month your team members can vote for a ‘Planet Saver of the Month’, who will receive a special prize, like a KeepCup for example (see what we did there)? Or whoever goes through the least amount of waste will be rewarded with a free coffee. You could also give each team member a plant to look after, all for themselves!

These fun initiatives will drastically help in getting your team on board and involved in your sustainability goals. We’ve learnt so much over the past month and have become more aware of our environmental impacts. We understand that we are far from perfect but we are making a conscious effort to take those extra steps to ensure our carbon footprint is slowly getting smaller and we’d love for you to join us.

Follow our journey here @inkacreative

This post was written by Inka Intern Laura as part of our 12 week Intern Program.

If you're interested in interning with us, keep an eye out for announcements on our social channels to be the first to know.