Selfsufficientish.com

I'm currently working at a sixth form college in Brighton, England. Alongside several committed members of staff and some very pro-active students, we are attempting to drag our establishment into a greener future!

We have set up an action plan to achieve a few initial short term projects including: carrying out an awareness-raising campaign for energy efficiency; setting up a worm composting system; paper recycling; and organising some well-publicised events such as "cycle to college" day.

It is really encouraging to see such a range of students and staff keen to take part, working collaboratively, learning and developing solutions together to the problems we face. What I hope is that what works well at the college will also find its way into the homes of more and more of the college community. For me this is what education should be about [/b]

probably the greenest workplace would be none at all!
I strongly believe that one way of saving colossal amounts of energy is for far more people to never go to the office, and work from home! - Eminently possible for many jobs that involve sitting at a computer!

A wrote an article about a greener workplace a while back might be useful to you.

Will have to agree with you there Martin the only downside is missing out on the social side of work. When you move to new cities every few years like I do work can be a real life saver for making new friends.

do you know who to get in contact with about getting some can recycling bin thingies for the office?

Our vending machine vends cans and bottles, and i want to get recycling points for these in either the canteens or the offices.

Any ideas?

ooh, for the OP. If you get in touch with Cartridgeworld, they'll give you some yellow bins for your printer cartridges. They then collect these and take them back to the factory for refilling. Then you gain cash credits for each cartridge (its not a lot - for us, its about £100 a quarter per section). Then they'll give you a cheque to do with as you please (ours all goes to local schools).

That's a heaps good article Andy. Do we need permission to print and share it? I'd like to hand that around.

Lot of it applies to home offices too.

i bought a stapless stapler the other day. They're quite brilliant! I've got the 'cut a slot and slot a bit of paper in' one.

People do keep threatening to steal it..

The stapler collection is getting ridiculous! We've now got 2 coke cans half full of staples (one side of the office decided they wanted their own can) and at another depot, they've started a coffee can full...

I'm hoping the man at the scrap metal thingy at the tip will take them

Andy Hamilton wrote:the only downside is missing out on the social side of work.

You are quite right. My employer is relativley enlghtend. I work from home 2 days a week, I'm not sure any more would work, I need a relationship with the people I work with. We have about 6 people who remote work I set up another one this morning and I am told more next year. Some only come into the office occasionally others like me do a regular schedule. It works for me, its about 25 miles each way, so I save 100 miles a week.

Paper is the biggest waste I see going on, my pet hate is seeing people print out an email so they can take it and show someone else, that someone also has email. Then, more often than not, it goes in the bin, or if it has personal info on it has to be shreded first.

Boots wrote:That's a heaps good article Andy. Do we need permission to print and share it? I'd like to hand that around.

Lot of it applies to home offices too.

AS long as you are not publishing it then no worries, although do try and email it rather than print it becomes a bit ironic otherwise.

the.fee.fairy wrote:do you know who to get in contact with about getting some can recycling bin thingies for the office?

Best place to start:
http://www.recycle-more.co.uk
(you can search for local services and/or collection bins)

You may also like:
http://www.recycle.co.uk

For more general info...

ta sustento.

I've been in touch with recycle-more before, i asked them about the staples, and they never got back to me. I've also asked my local council - they were just as lax about getting back to people...