The Great British Spring Clean takes place from the 17th of March to the 2nd of April this year. It’s Britain’s largest campaign to clean up our country and protect the environment.
With the campaign just around the corner, this prompted the Cygnul team to think about how we can make associations more environmentally sustainable and cutback on unnecessary waste.
Take a look at our top 5 tips on how to go green and make your association more eco-friendly:
Go Paperless
Printing is no longer a necessity for an office to run productively. There have been so many technological advancements over the past decade that have enabled clerical work to be completed in a totally virtual space.
Virtual signatures have taken over the need for unnecessary printing of membership applications, and forms required by your association can be easily transferred online.
Now is the time to look back through any outdated procedures that you may have and make the push to a more modern approach to administrative work.
Encourage Others
Make caring for the environment part of your association’s ethos. Put out a clear message to your members and explain the importance of what you are doing. Inspire your members to help contribute towards your mission by sharing what your association has done to become more sustainable and let them know how they can get involved.
Clear communication to your members and fellow Board will encourage them to take action alongside your efforts.
Recycle
Recycling seems like common sense to most, but the most recent UK Government figures show that the recycling rate for waste from households was only 44%.
Ensure that recycling points are available throughout your office, and that your colleagues know where they are situated. If you notice that recyclable materials are being put to landfill then put out an announcement to others, giving them a gentle reminder on what can and can’t be recycled. Don’t forget the list of what can be recycled may vary between Councils. If you have staff who live in different boroughs, then it is worth putting up a poster from the Council where the office is located as this may be adding to the confusion.
Office Procedures
How much electricity do you use in your office, and how much of that can be reduced? Simple acts such as turning off unused lights and shutting down your computer overnight can help make your association more sustainable, as well as reduce the electricity bills.
According to the Carbon Trust, leaving a computer on overnight for a year creates enough CO2 to fill a double-decker bus.
Go Virtual
One thing we can thank the recent lockdowns for is the shift towards a more virtual work style. Lockdowns taught us that organising meetings with your association doesn’t have to be done in-person and can easily be done online.
Even switching a proportion of your meetings to virtual meetings cuts back on the amount of travel involved and time needed for all parties. As well as being a plus for the environment, this frees up time for you to spend on the tasks that are most important to your association.
Let us know in the comments what you have done in the office to become more environmentally friendly.
