Going Green Helps Company’s Health

As more and more individuals look to make the world a little bit healthier and safer place to live in, have you stopped and asked yourself what contribution you and your employees are making?

With recognition that more needs to be done to leave the planet for the next generation in a better place than we found it, more people worldwide are seeing the benefits of a greener lifestyle.

Not only is the planet left a little bit better for the next person when your business and its employees practice healthier lifestyles both in and out of the office, but the rewards can reach way down.


If you haven’t been researched some of the ways going green can improve your health and those of your co-workers, think about the following 10 means:

1. Driving less, using more mass transit – When individuals leave the car at home to drive to work or the store, it means one less vehicle emitting pollution on the our local roads and freeways. If possible, cycle or even walk to work. Not only is there less pollution, but you give your heart and other organs a good workout in the process.

2. Practice green in the office – Whether it is cutting down on the amount of paper used in the office copier, using lights at a minimum or other means, practicing conservation in the office has many benefits. The rewards to the environment are equaled by the financial benefits to the company.

3. Make home a viable workplace – While not always an option, working from home allows individuals to cut down on the amount of vehicles polluting the environment. In turn, it helps people avoid breathing the same stale air often filled with pollutants. As an employer can you come up with a scenario where your workers can telecommute from time to time?

4. Avoid a toxic lifestyle – Life is stressful, no way around that. Not only is there a physical toll on the body, but also a mental one. By eating better, exercising more and laughing as much as possible, you reduce the stress in your life. Businesses that have exercise programs in place for their workers not only are likely to have healthier employees, but happy ones too.

5. Know where your water comes from – Research has shown that bottled water utilizes both resources and energy. Throw in chemicals emanating from the plastic bottles, and you have potential health issues. Drinking water is essential to life, but drinking filtered tap water is a more viable option. What are you doing at work to keep your employees properly hydrated during the day?

6. Get some sun – While being out in the sun should be done in moderate amounts and with the proper protection, natural light assists your calcium consumption, not to mention your mental attitude. If you spend too much time indoors, get outside and take in some fresh air. In the meantime, using less artificial lighting helps the environment. Encourage employees to take their breaks outside when possible and enjoy the weather.

7. Recycle, recycle, recycle – By taking those used water bottles, soda cans and bottles and other drinking instruments to recycling centers, you are not only helping the environment, but you’re in many cases making a few dollars on the side. While it takes some effort to collect and transport the recycled items to a center, if you do not have a recycling pick-up, it is time well spent. Do you have a recycling program at work for employee cans and bottles?

8. Clean wisely in the office and home – We all hate to clean up around work and at home, but it is a necessity. When doing so, use cleaners that are non-toxic to you and your loved ones. Using the wrong cleaners can lead to respiratory issues, headaches, stomach problems and more. For office cleaning crews, toss out the harmful chemicals and clean wiser. For more info see www.greencleaners.asia

9. Take out the garbage only when necessary – No one likes garbage, but especially the environment. Employees/individuals that decrease their office/household trash outputs not only are saving themselves money, but alleviating the crush of materials at the local landfills. Whether it is recycling your office paper, home shopping bags or using more dishes and fewer paper products, make the effort to have the garbage truck drive off with less each time.

10. Instead of buying new, fix that device – How many times have you thought about buying a new computer for the home or office or television? Stop and think about the fact that repairing and reusing such devices instead of purchasing new save energy and in turn money.

Both employers and employees can do their part to leave the planet in a little better shape than when they found it – it all begins with one small step.