Going Green in the office environment

At a recent BWA breakfast, Cheryl Steyn, Regional Coordinator made a very pertinent point in saying that in terms of earth sustainability and the environment, every small little thing that we do to improve the situation helps. It’s therefore great to see that BWA is making “Going Green” their focus for the year and fits in very nicely with our new company’s future focus.

Most BWA members work in some sort of building in one form or another. We rent or buy the space and ask one or two uncomfortable questions about asbestos or energy savings etc but we really don’t know what type of paint is on our walls and whether or not our carpeting could damage our health, and this is where a company like Afroteq Building Maintenance can really add value and be of assistant – even for those little things like light bulbs!!

What started as a need for tenants who require a turnkey solution in terms of their maintenance requirements has become an option to choose a “Green” option in terms of their installation (furniture and fittings) and ongoing maintenance requirements.

Although using a company like Afroteq Building Maintenance can add immense value especially when doing work like plumbing, waterproofing, carpentry etc that are not easily done yourself, there are many things you can do to ensure that your environment is healthy and environmentally friendly. Here are a couple of tips:

Easiest thing to do – change your light bulbs – Eskom had a programme a while ago in which they offered to replace all incandescent light bulbs with new compact fluorescent light bulbs that are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. I don’t know if they still offer this service but its worth investigating. Also, when replacing your old bulbs bear in mind that the CFL bulbs take a little longer to warm up and some of them have a bit of a cold hue so look for the warmer ones.
Computers – these can also be environmentally friendly – look for ones with the RoHS Compliant label – this means that the manufacturer uses less hazardous chemicals and substances when putting together the machine.
When buying furniture consider the wood – where does it come from, is it sustainable, is it ethical. Also there are many woods that are actually recycled – railway sleepers for one – and second hand furniture can be very creative and beautiful if put together properly (you could do a sort of 70”s retro look with all the old desks out there, or possible the “old study” look with old solid desking).
Recycle!!! Instead of disposable cups, use ceramic mugs. Print sparingly or not at all. Use recyclable toner cartridges. Find a charity on or non profit organisation that picks up your waste for you and recycles it – the list is endless with many many tips on the internet. I like the idea of putting a big poster up in pause areas and above desk like “Do you need to print” or “Remember to switch off your PC before leaving the office” etc.
Meetings all over the country?– easy – use video conferencing or for one on ones use Skype and a webcam instead of flying or driving. I know of one company that only does this and it not only saves them money but helps the environment too.
Too hot too cold – an age old complaint. Get staff to come to work with layers. Keep the doors and windows closed if you use air-conditioning and reduce your air conditioning volumes (switch some units off or adjust the temperature) about an hour before everyone leaves – it helps them get used to the transition from cold (indoors) to hot (outdoors).
Do you know what is deemed hazardous waste? Fluorescent tubes are considered hazardous waste – incinerate them or call in a service provider to do it for you.
Waterless hand soap is an example of water conservation and hygiene management.

Things that we would be able to do are:

Advise you on whether or not you have anything that could damage your health in your building.
Advise on how to remove or limit the impact (make safe as we call it) any of the damaging items.
Investigate possible energy savings and environmentally friendly methods that you could implement.
Offer you alternative products that have a certified “Green” label.
Provide an ongoing maintenance service that takes into account the environment in terms of products and equipment used.
Provide installations that make use of mostly “Green” products and equipment.

On the down side – going “Green” in the office environment in terms of fittings, fixtures and maintenance is usually more expensive than more traditional routes – mainly because there are few suppliers in SA (although this is growing) and the market is still quite small so the scale of economies are not in place. I believe however that even if you just do one or two things like changing your light bulbs or painting with environmentally friendly paint you are helping and at the same time generating demand – every little bit helps as the BWA ladies mentioned at our last event!!!

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