How to live sustainable even at work

Worrying about the sustainability of what we wear, eat and buy, even at work , means changing our lives and developing, in a certain sense, a new personality or at least broadening our horizons . But there are strategies to continue maintaining old habits, at least the healthier ones, such as setting an example , spreading word of mouth and observing the overall picture. We can use any combination of these to develop a conscious office mindset , without losing heart.

We have thought of some suggestions which can however be customized based on the company you work for . Obviously, if these indications seem too limiting or penalizing, evaluate their actual application or adapt them to your situation. As in any context - family, friends, health - practicing sustainability means first and foremost being at ease .

Lead by example

If you're the eco-chic type, you're setting an example without realizing it. You have a reusable water bottle , you say no to fast fashion and you are conscious in your food choices . Do it at work too! Bring your own water bottle to meetings, bring your lunch in reusable containers , and calmly answer questions about your organic cotton blouse. In the past I was part of a local purchasing group for healthy and genuine 0km food. It was customary to have the shopping delivered to the office so as to share our healthy and environmentally friendly choices with all our colleagues.

Try to be more conscious and consider limiting your paper usage, as well as reducing your electricity consumption . Print double-sided and always consider the possibility of not printing to avoid waste . Put your computer into sleep mode at the end of the day. Turn off the lights in the conference room and in empty rooms to reduce consumption.

Find an ally

If you're lucky you have a mentor or close friend in the office. Convincing other people to think sustainably can help you broaden the culture and interest of the entire environment on this topic. Leverage your best contact as a sounding board and ask for their support as you take on an environmental leadership role.

Create a culture of sustainability

Now that you're leading by example and have an ally, find others to join your group. You could start offering a meatless lunch on Mondays, an office dish closet , or a themed book club . Make sure these proposals are discussed during lunch or other non-work time. As with your ally, use the group to develop discussions about sustainability or related topics to make the office less wasteful. The more environmentally conscious the employees are, the more plastic and electricity consumption is reduced.

Involve top leaders in the movement

Once you have created a group of employees who are attentive to the issue of sustainability, you can think about also involving staff at management level . In fact we are now faced with a real movement that cannot be ignored. And start having company-wide guidelines on how to reduce plastic cups or require food waste separation . Find the best person to talk to – usually the office manager – and make a specific request. Use kindness , common sense and above all a good speech on how the proposal can be beneficial for the entire company .

Broaden your horizons more and more

If you are part of a company within a larger building, aim to involve the entire building and its offices there. For example, contact the building manager via the website or ask your office manager for contact information. Owners are generally responsible for the entire building complex and can set recycling, waste and energy system policies . This could be a big deal!

At CasaGIN we try to do our best to save the planet . We wish to spread the concepts of ethics and sustainability . In the company we believe that very little is enough to make a difference and here we have given you a simple example of how many things can be done with a few small precautions. We hope these tips can help you. Remember that behaving more attentively towards the environment around you is a source of serenity and balance . If you have any tips or successes to share, please do so in the comments below!