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Office
In a lot of respects, working in an office-environment is very much like the systems we have at home; we just sit still longer. What's unique about the office environment is that generally the systems of work-flow are more systematic, large-scale, and are calculated not just for style and comfort but also profitability. Basically, it's predictable. When something is predictable, you can manage it and make it better because it's easier to think about it than when it constantly changes.
It's also a gathering place that is frequented regularly by every employee. No other place is there such a gathering spot, not the store, not the movie theater, not the local bar. What this means is that each worker there has an intimate familiarity with their workplace. When they understand someplace, they are comfortable with it. When they are comfortable with it, they will interact with it.
Here is an example of how powerful this is. Say you asked all the employees of a 500 person firm to bring in their family's used toothbrushes. If the average family was 3 people, you'd have 1500 toothbrushes in the office the next day. Apply this to recycling uncommon things like batteries or old cell phones. Ordinarily we have one or two lying around the drawer at home just wasting space. If a collection-box is made available in the office to collect that stuff, you'd have a significant-sized box of recycled batteries and old phones! Now that's power!
The sustainability-impacts you can make vary depending on what area of the office-environment you are working in. We showcase some typical areas of expertise to guide you in your related field. Keep in mind, however, that although you may not personally have tremendous authority for a particular change, your suggestions to the ones who do makes you more sustainably-valuable than if you were to just concentrate in your own area - so browse through most them to see how you can make a greater impact.
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