Thinking outside, and inside, the box

• Superfast and green IT solution saves family business money 
• 50 % energy savings cut operating costs by around € 2 181

Discounted Office Supplies (DOS) is a family-owned company in the UK with a focus on customer service. Until recently, the company had PCs with old and slow Windows XP operating systems which were inefficient and lacked the latest tools for remote-working and network management.

About 70 % of office waste is recyclable. As recycling is generally cheaper than other disposal routes, ensuring you effectively recycle can save your organisation money. To set up an effective and convenient recycling system, you will need to analyse quantities and types of waste you produce (see fact sheet Monitoring material streams). Once you have established this, here are some actions that will help your organisation recycle more effectively.

Most businesses rely on a range of office equipment in order to function. From the basics like computers, printers, and copiers to projectors, scanners and teleconference facilities, it is widely recognised that these items have become integral to daily activity. But it is not always appreciated how much these cost a company. Office equipment is the fastest growing energy user in the business world, and expected to comprise 30 % of office energy use by 2020.

The benefits of increasing equipment efficiency include:

Paper is a major purchasing and disposal cost. It is estimated that the average office worker uses up to 45 sheets of paper per day, of which over half is considered waste. However, an efficient office can use as little as 16 sheets per person, per day. Virgin paper production usually involves high chemical and energy use, which can have detrimental effects during disposal (landfill or incineration). However, paper is a natural resource that can be recycled up to five times, substantially reducing these impacts.

Measuring and monitoring resource use is a key skill that all organisations should master, regardless of size or sector. It should be one of the first steps your organisation takes to improve its environmental performance. By regularly measuring and monitoring raw material use, you will start to identify patterns of wasteful behaviour and opportunities to cut back, improve environmental performance and save money.

Biomass as a source of renewable energy is used for a variety of applications including combined heat and power (CHP) or biofuels production. Many companies have already switched from fossil fuels to biomass, but there is more potential for growth. Among conditions to introducing biomass for heat and power generation is easy access to biomass resources (wood chips, waste of wood processing industry), as well the availability of a business plan for biomass collection and logistics.

Renewable resources for heat generation are cheaper, more secure and better for the environment. The costs associated with the technology depend on the size and type of the installation.

Most industry-grade process heating systems are based on steam or hot water from boilers that today mainly burn fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal, or electricity generated by different sources.

Solar process heating systems can supply up to 20-30 % of the heating demands of an average plant. This is called the ‘solar fraction’. As a renewable energy source, low-temperature solar thermal technology has huge untapped potential. Solar thermal can be backed up by other heat sources and combined with storage systems for guaranteed supply.

Cleaner and greener plumbing