Revisiting our 2019 New Year’s Resolutions

How are your 2019 New Year’s Resolutions coming along? For many, resolutions focus internally. Self-improvement through exercising, healthy eating, bullet journaling, and the list goes on. This year in the office, we’ve decided to give ourselves a break from the annual “I’ll go to the gym after work” resolution and focus externally on resolutions for a greener office space.

First, we’re relying more on natural lighting. Our office is fortunate enough to have large windows that illuminate our desks. With this, we are able to reduce our electricity consumption by turning off half of our overhead lights. Even our conference rooms have developed a low-lit, yet still professional, aesthetic with the blinds up at each window.

Second, we pledge to move towards energy efficient appliances with any upgrades in the New Year. The market on office appliances has expanded to include countless energy efficient models of products at different price points. As an environmentally-minded nonprofit, reduce, reuse, recycle stays at the forefront of our minds. Occasionally, we catch ourselves caught up in the reducing and recycling without thinking how we could re-purpose materials or extend their lifespan. Consequently, we have enjoyed the hunt of finding some used office supplies.

Third, we are utilizing reusable utensils and drink ware. Similar to how coffee places have started incentivizing customers to bring their own coffee cups in exchange for discounts, we have found joy in sharing our unique office mugs with one another as we gather around the coffee pot. From hedgehogs to Hawaii, our mugs bring joy and sustainability to our everyday.

What are your green New Year’s resolution? How is your office moving towards a more sustainable work environment? Let us know at @NCGP on Twitter and Instagram.