[Cymraeg]
With 10% of the Welsh workforce now based at home, Envirowise is encouraging the country's 135,000 home workers to consider ways they can cut unnecessary resource use.
While this increase in home working could see a significant reduction in traffic congestion and the related environmental impacts, Envirowise is warning home workers they still need to consider how to reduce waste.
Caerphilly County Borough Council is one of the many Welsh organisations, which have recently implemented a home working policy. The council is encouraging all its employees to look at ways to reduce their environmental impact wherever their location, as Special Projects Officer Rhodri Lloyd explains: "It's possible to be just as resource efficient at home as you would in the office and reducing waste needn't be time consuming or expensive. Employers and employees alike can establish easy steps to tackle the issue and ensure the home working revolution fulfils its potential for improving the environment."
Envirowise's top tips for improving resource efficiency in the home office include:
- Review and monitor the amount of water used. Turn off leaking taps and install water saving devices in toilet cisterns.
- When making tea and coffee, only boil as much water as needed.
- Be mindful of the amount of paper used. Think twice before printing off emails and always recycle used paper.
- Change light bulbs to energy efficient ones and ensure lights are switched off in rooms not being used.
- Consider supplementing face-to-face contact with teleconferencing when a personal meeting is not essential to further reduce transport-related emissions.
For more information download the Green Officiency toolkit.