It’s important to consider our environmental impact at work as well as at home, but just how eco-friendly is your workplace?
You might think it’s not easy being green – but how wrong you’d be! There are lots of little ways you can help the environment in your office and there are several benefits to doing so, in addition to our ethical responsibilities. You could save money, save employees money (a great company benefit) and improve your reputation as a sustainable business.
Here’s how we have made changes in our own office, along with some other tips and tricks to get you well on your way to eco-success.
Tchibo Coffee Service lead by example
Here at Tchibo Coffee Service, we want to keep improving what we do for the environment and we are committed to becoming a 100% sustainable business by 2025.
All employees in our office have stopped using paper cups. Instead, each employee at Tchibo was gifted with their very own 12oz Special Edition Glass Brew KeepCup to use at their desk and on the go. KeepCups are the world’s first barista standard reusable cup made from recyclable plastic, unbreakable, colourful, an easy choice for coffee on the go!
We also removed desk-side bins and added more recycling bins in the kitchen and around the office itself; these bins are a variety of mixed, paper, cans and food recycling as well as a general waste bin. This change is to help encourage all employees in the office to recycle more and waste less.
Benefits of your employees having KeepCups
It’s more environmentally friendly
In the UK alone, it is estimated that 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown away every year. Less than 1% of coffee cups are actually recycled and over half a million cups are thrown away every day. These disposable cups can harm animals and pollute the natural environment as they take hundreds of years to break down due to chemicals in the plastic.
It saves them money
KeepCups are also for use on the go. When employees aren’t in the office, they can take their KeepCup with them to get their fix of coffee when out and about.
Drinks in coffee shops average from £3 – £6, so imagine how much they must spend in a year if they buy a coffee (or two) a day!
By providing reusable coffee cups, they’ll be able to save money by making their own coffee at home to take on the go, and by bringing their reusable cups to coffee shops
Most coffee shops offer discount on drinks if you bring your own reusable cup. This can range from 15-50p off. For example, if employees buy two coffees a day, with a KeepCup, they could save a minimum of £110 a year! This is a pretty great perk for your staff!
What else can you do in your office?
• Follow our lead by getting rid of desk-side bins and providing more recycling bins.
• Set the printer to print double-sided as a default setting to avoid over-using paper.
• Recycle your coffee grounds – spread over flowerbeds to feed your hydrangeas and azaleas.
• Replace plastic drinks stirrers with wooden ones.
• Replace plastic straws with paper ones.
• Unplug appliances when they are not being used.
Do you have a reusable cup or think they are the choice for the future? Any other ideas on what offices can do to become more environmentally friendly? Let us know in the comments!
Together, we can make small changes to help our environment for the better!
To discuss coffee solutions for your office and find out more about the products and service Tchibo Coffee Service can offer, please get in touch!
Tagged with: coffee • environment • office • sustainable
