Green Intentions October - Sustainable office habits by Ilona Kessels

With nine months of 2021 behind us, we have already discussed several sustainable changes you can make in the (wet) labs! Since we’re returning to working at the office more and more, we hope to inspire you by introducing 10 sustainable habits that you can apply going back to the office. Let’s dive in! 

1. Use reusable dishware 

A simple but very effective habit! Take your favorite mug from home to the office, or make it a habit to take a coffee-to-go cup anywhere you go. Do you also want to stimulate your colleagues? During the lockdown, a lot of people started cleaning up their houses. Maybe you have some old dishware you don’t use anymore, which can be used at the office. 

2. Go paperless 

Due to the pandemic, we are already more comfortable sharing agendas online, signing digital documents, or sending invitations by email. However, we need to be aware to not fall back on old habits because paper has a substantial environmental impact. A study executed in Oman found that 13 tons of 80 grams A4 paper (used by three institutions in the Dhofar region in one year) is equal to the cutting of 312 trees, 33552 kg of CO2 gas emission, 144742 KWh of energy consumption, the production of 13433 kg of solid waste and the waste of 938 687 liters of water. Changing only printer preferences could save us a lot of environmental resources. 

3. Reuse, recycle, reduce 

A lot of waste is produced in the office: food left-overs, coffee cups, paper, etc. But also things you won’t think of immediately: tea bags which are only used one time (while most bags can be used for a whole pot), or the amount of paper you use to dry your hands after a toilet visit. Please take a moment to consider if you can reuse your waste before throwing it in a bin, whether you throw it in the correct bin (for recycling purposes), or if you can even reduce your waste next time. Probably, you can make your colleague happy with a cup of tea, or you can keep your tea bag on your desk to remind yourself to drink enough during the day? 

4. Win-win 

Some habits are not only good for the world but also good for you! Taking the stairs instead of using the elevator saves a lot of energy and calories. Office work often means sitting for long hours, so taking the stairs to the restaurant during lunch break or at the start and end of your day can make your muscles work again after a long time of rest. 

5. Travel together

Previously, we shared the Thoughtful Travel Pledge with you, which stimulates us to be more conscious about the carbon footprint of academic travel (for international collaborations and meetings). But this is also relevant on a daily basis. Are you aware of the impact of your commute? There are a lot of (more) sustainable ways to commute: taking the train, so you can also work a bit, taking your bike and make it directly a workout, or drive together, which is also more fun! 

6. Sustainable purchasing 

Departments often need to purchase materials, products, or equipment for their experiments, prototypes, etc. Some of these are monthly orders, others are incidental. In both cases, you can look for more sustainable options. Is there a sustainable alternative? Could you buy it from a supplier that pays attention to a sustainable world? Can you choose another way of transport which is more sustainable? Is it possible to assemble orders from several departments, so it only needs to be transported once? Discussing these questions with your colleagues or people from other departments can really make some difference. 

7. Dress to impress 

In all these months working from home, you maybe didn’t pay much attention to your clothes, and working in your chill outfit was way more comfortable. But now when you’re standing in front of your closet before going to the office, you are tired of all these clothes and really feel the need to buy new clothes. Before running to the city center, you could consider more sustainable ways of filling your closet. Second-hand shops are getting much more popular, especially in bigger cities. Alternatively, you can look at online “second-hand shops,” such as Vinted or Zalando pre-owned. Even more fun is doing a clothes swap with your colleagues or friends. And if you need a special outfit for a single occasion, such as a congress or important meeting, why not borrowing an outfit from someone? 

8. Sustainable presents 

With less than 3 months until Christmas, it is almost time to think about Christmas presents! And why not consider a sustainable present for your colleagues? Reusable bottles, coffee-to-go mugs, reusable notebooks, and refillable pens are all examples of sustainable presents that can be used in the office. But why wait until Christmas? Instead of sending someone flowers and a card for their birthday, maybe someone can bring it by bike (or you can choose a sustainable transporter such as a bicycle courier), you can send an e-card, or instead of regular flowers you can send dried flowers that someone can enjoy much longer! 

9. Instate a strict everything-off-at-night rule 

Özlem told you already about vampire power in the blog of March. Due to its silent impact, we often forget to think about this. Still, especially now we meet each other at the office again, it’s important to think about solutions to this problem and make each other aware of it. And never underestimate the power of repetition! 

10. Spread the word! 

Not everyone is aware of these simple changes, which can make a significant impact if we do it all together. The first step into changing behavior and habits is creating awareness. So forward this blog to your colleagues and start implementing these habits yourself, so other people will follow your example. And when you are already at the point that people are aware of these simple changes, you can set up monthly green challenges to take it to the next level!