In this blog, we’re giving you ideas for sustainable swaps you can make when it comes to your work desk.
We are big advocates for choosing one area of your life and looking at how you can make it more sustainable. This makes it less overwhelming and more achievable. Today, we are looking at sustainable swaps for your work life.
Reusable water bottle
One swap that has a HUGE impact is ditching single-use plastic water bottles and investing in a reusable such as Chilly’s water bottles. This helps reduce the amount of plastic waste you are sending to landfill. They are also very stylish and help keep your water cold, which is amazing for when the weather gets warmer.
Keep cup
If you are one of those people that can’t get through the morning without your daily dose of caffeine, consider how sustainable your choices are. Try making yourself a coffee/tea before you leave the house and taking it with you in a thermal mug (or Klong run. This can also save you money in the long-run!
If you can survive the commute without your coffee intake, try waiting until you get to the office before making yourself a cup of coffee/tea. Alternatively, invest in a keep cup that you can take with you to the coffee shop. This helps you avoid disposable coffee cups which aren’t recyclable.
Companies like Pret have also recently introduced a 50p discount to those who bring their own reusable cup.
Bring your own lunch
Bringing your own lunch can help you cut down on waste and your spending. Supermarket lunches, such as salad pots and packaged sandwiches, all have plastic packaging which often isn’t recyclable. Disposing of these everyday builds up the amount of waste you send to landfill. Buying a reusable and BPA free tupperware and bringing in lunch helps save the amount of waste you dispose of. One option is to make extra dinner and pop the leftovers in your tupperware. Alternatively, you can use a Sunday afternoon to meal prep your lunches for the week if you are short for time on weekday evenings.
Tea bags
Sitting at an office desk all day involves many cups of tea (if our office is anything to go by!) But, a lot of people don’t realise that a LOT of tea bags have plastic in them to keep the bag from falling apart.
One alternative is loose leaf tea. This helps ditch waste from tea bags altogether! Teapigs use 100% natural ingredients in their tea and pack it in a recyclable paper carton, which is also biodegradable.
If you don’t want to make the switch to loose leaf tea, there are biodegradable and compostable alternatives. Our favourite is Pukka Herbs. Their tea bags are free of plastic, tied together with organic cotton and are compostable. The tea bags are individually sealed in recyclable paper envelopes and packed in a recyclable cardboard box. Their ingredients are also all organically grown, ethically sourced and fair trade.
Notebooks
It’s important to consider how many notebooks you’re getting through at work. Without even realising you could be wasting paper, which of course has an impact on the planet! Try to only send items to print when necessary and use your laptop to take notes whenever possible. If you are unable to avoid writing things down, try opting for an eco-friendly alternative. There are lots of notebooks that use recycled paper. There are lots of affordable options here.
Consider how you get to work
How sustainable is your method of transport to work? This question isn’t designed to shame you if you drive! Like we said, it’s about small and achievable swaps. If you drive but have made swaps in other areas that’s amazing.
If you are looking to make your method of transport more sustainable, why not try getting up a bit earlier and walking in? If this is not possible, consider using public transport or car sharing to work. Alternatively, see if your office has a Government Cycle to Work scheme. Your employer can loan you a bike and all equipment as a tax-free benefit.
We hope this blog has helped inspire you on your journey to being more sustainable! For inspiration on how you can green up your gym workout, check out this blog here. For inspiration on greening up your bathroom, discover our top zero-waste bathroom essentials here.
