ECOTOURISM KENYA 2016 ECOTOURISM & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FORUM 19 TH MAY 2016 AMREF TRAINING CENTRE NAIROBI, KENYA Presentation by Dr. Bonface O. Kihima (PhD.), ecorating member Practical tips on how to green your office and save money

Reducing consumption, re-using and recycling in order to avoid wastage Being economical in your operations, which is both good for business and for the environment Making a few behavioral adjustments to the day to day activities in the office Through this, you can actually save money! What does going green mean?

1. Office supplies/stationery Here are five main areas that changes can be implemented by greening your work place. Purchase recycled paper/green/environmentally friendly stationery where possible. You can check for a recycling symbol on the package paper or content information in the package. Go digital: is it really necessary to print out a meeting agenda for every member? Or a memo? You can send this on , or create a slide show to be projected at the meeting. Nowadays almost everyone owns a smartphone that can access digital content

1. Office supplies/stationery Update mailing lists: instead of sending out individual letters, newsletters, catalogues, brochures, etc. you can develop a mailing list in which digital information can be sent out to your clients, members or staff. Let your scanner be your best friend, PDF everything!

Adjust the printer/photocopier settings:  implement double sided printing, using a smaller font  keeping a scrap paper pile near the printer, etc.  Always proofread your work to prevent multiple printing.  Only print when it is absolutely necessary Green Tip: set up a printer friendly signature for all your staff, as a reminder and also for awareness to your clients or members. e.g. “Please consider the environment before printing this ”

Is it possible to schedule a meeting on Skype perhaps? Currently, people are also embracing WhatsApp groups for efficient and real time communication. This saves time (that could have been wasted in traffic), resources, carbon footprint and air quality Use multi-purpose machines that can perform more than one function e.g. copy, scan, fax, print, etc. instead of buying each individual machine. The fewer office machines you buy, the smaller your footprint will be. This is because each equipment produces tons of toxic substance during production and disposal phases. 2. Office meetings and equipment

Invest in automatic power shutdown software or plugs to switch off IT equipment during out of office hours Ensure you shut down all equipment when leaving the office after work Eliminate the use of screen savers which consume a lot of energy. Set monitors to switch off at a particular time Consider the use of renewable energy e.g. solar or wind energy where possible for lighting or heating 3. Energy/power savings

Use natural lighting: artificial lighting represents 40% of electricity consumption in a normal office or building. More often than not, this is unnecessary. During daytime, take advantage of natural lighting by opening up curtains or blinds whenever possible. Ensure to switch off lights when everyone is gone Install motion sensors: this is a device that switches lights on whenever someone enters a room and switches off when they leave. As the name suggests, they rely on motion and they’ll turn the lights on for a designated period of time (e.g. 15 mins) hence saving power.

Invest or switch to energy saving equipment e.g. fluorescent bulbs, LED lights/lamps which last 10 times longer and save up to 75% power usage therefore you save on energy costs and bulb replacement costs

Eliminate paper towels-instead, replace with cloth napkins and/or towels. This reduces amount of paper waste produced. However, this will require high levels of hygiene standards to be maintained Where possible, switch to dual flush toilets to save on amount of water used per flush. 4. Bathroom and kitchen (water and waste management)

examples of dual flush toilets 4. Bathroom and kitchen (water and waste management)

Install or improvise taps to low flow aerators/faucets, lift taps or push taps. This will reduce on water wastage example of a push tap and a lift tap Where possible, harvest rain water to supplement the usual water source. This will not only reduce costs paid to the water supplier, but if enough rain water is harvested, it may also ensure you become totally independent from reliance on your county water supplier

Whenever possible, buy in bulk to reduce on packaging waste material and save at the same time! Instead of individual packets of coffee, sugar, salt, pepper among other consumables, buy in large quantities. Also, be creative and re-use jars or dispensers for these items. This also reduces on waste disposal costs, since there will be very minimal waste to be disposed. For example, you could buy water in 18 liter bottles and served in reusable glasses, cups instead of buying plastic bottles. 5. Other practical areas

Use visual signage in key areas around the office such as ‘switch off unnecessary lights’ ‘do not leave taps running’ etc. to sensitize your staff or as a reminder 5. Other practical areas

Use biodegradable/natural cleaning products which are less harmful to the environment e.g. vinegar, lemon, bicarbonate soda. Locally available cleaning products include companies such as Diversey, Ecolab, Ecover and Magic chemicals Implement a system where recyclable items can be re-used and/or recycled such as file folders, binders, cartons, cardboard, glass, bottles, plastics, etc. to reduce on amount of waste produced as well as disposal costs Illustration: Old plastic crates can be filled with soil and used to grow vegetables or flowers

Car sharing: if several of your team members are going for the same meeting at the same time, they can carpool or share the cost of one cab, which in turn reduces the environmental impact of the journey Go green literally i.e. have plants within and around the office-they absorb airborne pollutants and also improve the aesthetics in the office Finally, write and implement an environmental policy for your company-which you can share with your staff, customers, members etc. on your website. This represents the environmental values that your company believes in. Thank you!

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