THE FRIENDLY OFFICE LIST
Being a sustainable and ethical business doesn’t just run through the services you offer but also through equipment, employees, devices and supporting the right charities.
We have put together a list of sustainable and ethical brands and tips that you can follow to make sure your workplace is living up to their sustainable name and ethics.
RHINO NOTEPADS
Starting off we have Rhino notepads which we love to use here at ETHICLY for our work and note taking!
These amazing notebooks not only have great designs but they are sustainably made from education-standard smooth paper and 100% recycled covers so you can use them knowing you’re helping the environment and of course rhinos.
When you make a purchase with Rhino Stationery they put that money into saving the rhinos through conservation projects that help give the rhinos a future to thrive in.
They also have a variety of paper, handwriting exercise books, notebooks and journals so you always have lots to choose from.
ECO PENS
Another favourite in our office that every sustainable business should be using is Agile Home and Garden Eco Friendly Pens.
Pens are a piece of stationery that everyone uses on a daily basis but unfortunately most of the plastic pens that people use aren’t disposable and end up going to landfill. However, these Eco pens are fully recyclable and even part compostable!
Not only are they great to write with, but they also do amazing things for the planet while looking good. And it’s not just the pens that are sustainable, but also the packaging they come in, being wrapped in packaging that is eco friendly.
These are definitely a must in the workplace and a great way to support other businesses that want to make an impact.
REWORKED PLASTIC BOXES
If you’re at the office or working from home, you may find yourself wondering where to put hard to recycle plastic. Luckily, Reworked have their amazing Mixed Plastic Recycling Box where you can dispose of all your hard to recycle plastics.
They make this process super easy so all you have to do is fill the box, send it back to them and they’ll take care of the rest. It is a great way to avoid landfill usage and with the product including delivery as well as collection, you don’t even have to leave the house.
On their website they have a variety of other recycling boxes to choose from, ranging from kitchen items to beauty products, and with every box ordered a tree is planted.
It’s so easy to help contribute to saving the planet without even having to leave the comfort of your home.
MEASURABLE ENERGY PLUG SOCKETS
Measurable Energy is next up on the list and definitely one that sustainable businesses need to invest in.
So many offices and work buildings leave their devices on and any other electrical appliances which all add up to wasting a lot of power. However, Measurable Energy has created unique smart sockets that use machine learning to tell if no one is using a device to automatically measure if the power socket needs turning off.
This has created an efficient way to save energy and power, which in turn is reducing energy costs and CO2 emissions by 20%!
Their incredible product has the ability to monitor the energy use of a socket, report on the data and then automatically turn the socket on or off to avoid wasting energy. We think their drive and ideas to eliminate small power waste are fantastic, and a must have device for all sustainable, ethical businesses.
SUPPORT A CAUSE
At ETHICLY we are beyond excited to have chosen the Kelp Forest Alliance to be our non profit that we will be supporting for free in 2023.
Kelp forests have huge benefits for the environment and ecosystems, covering over a third of the world’s coastlines and helping support millions of people. These forests are critical to solving climate change and are able to grow 30 times faster than trees and plants on land.
But so many people in not only the UK but other countries don’t know how important these kelp forests actually are.
We plan to change that with the help of the Kelp Forest Alliance.
Even a small contribution from businesses can help them massively in protecting and restoring these ecosystems, as well as help them spread the world about kelp forests.
ECOLOGI
Another amazing non profit organisation that businesses should support is Ecologi. They are a great organisation that uses funds from supporters to help fund climate projects and carry out these projects to help create solutions and fight climate change.
Their members’ impact has already helped fund 58.7 million trees and avoided 2.5 million tonnes of CO2.
The process to become a member is super easy, all you have to do is sign up, set your eco goals and they will put your donations into funding climate projects. And to make sure you know exactly how your donations are helping projects, they will send you frequent updates on their progress as well as their latest news and other projects.
We are proud to support them and strongly encourage your business to do the same.
OCTOPUS ENERGY
Energy plays a huge role in helping businesses run and operate, which is why choosing an energy supplier that powers your home and business with 100% green electricity is crucial in fighting climate change.
Octopus Energy are doing just that, and with their mission to make the world’s power 100% green, they are an energy provider every business should switch to.
Renewable power is the key for the future of our planet and Octopus Energy are one of Europe’s largest investors in renewable energy.
They are making a change now for a better future.
WORKING REMOTELY
After the Covid-19 pandemic we saw lots of businesses start to work remotely, and while not all businesses can work from home, if you can then it’s a great way to save your carbon footprint.
Working remotely eliminates the need to commute daily for work and reduces the amount of CO2 emissions that driving produces. A study found that working from home four days a week can reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by around 10%.
A great blog by Green Journal for more environmental benefits of remote work is a must read and will give you some great insights of why this may be a change your business should make.
So if your business can work remotely then it is definitely something to consider, it will make a huge environmental impact and greatly reduce your employees carbon footprint.
GO PAPERLESS
We love the saying ‘Trees are better in the ground’ at ETHICLY, which is why going paperless is another change your business should adopt if you want to be sustainable and ethical.
The number of benefits of going paperless is huge, with electrical documents being instant and available to everyone that needs them, the time taken to transfer documents is significantly reduced and can be done from anywhere. The risk of damage is also greatly reduced with paper having the chance of getting lost and damaged easily. And of course the big one is that going paperless is saving billions of trees.
Lancashire Business View has an eye opening article that has some shocking facts about paper production and why going paperless is amazing for reducing the carbon footprint in your company..
But if you do need to use paper in your business then don’t forget about Rhino Stationery which we previously talked about, so even if you are using paper, you know it won’t be bad for the environment.
FLEXIBLE WORKING
Finally, our last tip for sustainable and ethical businesses is flexible working.
While this change may not be accessible for every business, if your employees have the opportunity to have flexible working it will help create a much happier and healthier workplace.
There are so many benefits of flexible working including, reducing stress and burnout, better job satisfaction, increased productivity, and so many other benefits which can help your business have a much healthier work environment. You can read more about these benefits in a fantastic read by Robert Half.
As they say… happy employees work better!
On top of the brands and tips we have listed, there are so many other things your business can do and many other products to invest in that can make your business more ethical and sustainable.
