Our carbon reduction project was born when a potential client asked to see our environmental policy. We had to draft one for the purpose but it must have been good because we won the work. But the policy was not just greenwash – we rapidly put it into action.
We walked around our offices and found every single printer and photocopier left on, well after everyone had left the building. A couple of computers had been left on. A couple of the rooms felt like saunas.
The arrival of an advisor from the Suffolk campaign for carbon reduction was crucial. He calculated our carbon footprint, gave us a benchmark to aim for and provided a hugely useful action plan.
Next came a staff awareness campaign. We were overwhelmed by the response – ideas flooded in, computers were suddenly turned off at night, lights were no longer left on. We installed timers on printers and photocopiers and began replacing lights with low energy versions. Recycling facilities were improved. We launched a monthly intranet newsletter to keep staff informed.
We have significantly cut our energy use by these simple methods and have radically reduced our landfill waste. It is so exciting to see results.
