It’s 2019! This year we are making daily changes to live more environmentally friendly. Since we do spend a significant portion of our time at the office, it's important that we bring our “green” efforts into the workplace too.
Sifted recently moved headquarters into its own office space! With the help of our office administrator, we have taken steps to make it as eco-friendly as possible. Here are some of our eco-friendly office hacks.
Composting
At first glance, composting can seem like a messy, smelly and time-consuming project. But it doesn’t have to be! With the help of composting services, it can be a simple and impactful way to reduce food waste.
We use Compost Now at our office, and the process is super simple. First, they deliver to our office compost bins which are guaranteed to trap smell inside. Throughout the week, we dispose of any of our excess food into the bins. Compost Now stops by twice a week to pick it up and take it to their facilities.
Using composting services is an easy and affordable way to make sure that your office is zero food waste.
Eco-friendly Office Cleaners
Another way to make sure you’re keeping your office green is by checking what cleaning products your office is using. Many cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that can cause air pollution, water pollution, deplete the ozone layer and are harmful to your skin. Using eco-friendly products ensures that you’re not releasing any of these harmful chemicals into the air or onto your skin.
If you’re in an office who uses your own cleaning service we recommend Eden.io, an easy to use cleaning service specifically for offices. They use eco-friendly cleaning products so you can trust that you’re sticking to your eco goals even when cleaning the office.
Eco-friendly & Reusable Dining Products
An easy way to reduce your paper and plastic waste in the office is by using reusable dishes and silverware. It does create a little extra work at the end of the day, but washing a couple of dirty dishes is definitely worth the trouble. If you do need disposable dining products, we recommend ECO products who’s products are100% compostable.
Recycling
Most likely your office already has a recycling system in place, but making sure that your bins are properly labeled and that your employees understand where to put each item is as important as the recycling itself. Not every bin accepts the same materials, and additionally, not every state has the same recycling standards and capabilities. At our office in Atlanta, we have 4 bins labeled for different types of recyclable material: #1, #2, and #5 plastics, aluminum + scrap metal, assorted paper, and glass. If you want to ensure your recycling is going to the right place we recommend taking it to a local facility. If you don’t know where to take your recycling, websites like berecycled.org can help you locate recycling centers in your area.
Buying in Bulk
Another good way to reduce material waste is by ordering in bulk - whether it be your office supplies or your office snacks. In doing this you’ll be able easily to reduce the amount of single-use plastics and paper that comes with the packaging.
We use companies like Variety Fun and Brandless when buying our office snacks in bulk.
Working With Partners You Trust
One of the most important things you can do to make a positive impact on the environment is making sure your’e partnering with businesses you trust and who hold the same values as you. As a national catering company, it is extremely important to us at Sifted to make sure that we take control of our environmental impact. Partnering with the food donation platform Copia enables us to donate 100% of our excess food to non-profits in each of our cities and allows us to be a Zero Food Waste company.
Whatever service your business provides you can feel empowered by the partnerships you choose to make. By partnering with companies that share your value for protecting the environment you will create a ripple effect that will have a reach far beyond the walls of your office.