How to build a greener office in 90 days (without new headcount)
A simple, practical playbook you can start on Monday.
We all see it.
AC set to 18°C.
Paper cups after every meeting.
Bins full of snack wrappers and coffee pods.
Here’s a no-nonsense plan to cut waste, power, and carbon in any office.
Simple steps. Clear owners. Real results.
The 30–60–90 Day Green Office Playbook
Days 1–30: Quick wins you can do this week
1) Set the default, not the exception
AC at 23–24°C.
Lights: auto-off after 10–15 min no movement.
Printing: duplex, B/W, release-to-print only.
Kitchen: mugs and glasses only. Remove disposables.
2) Centralize waste (and kill desk bins)
4 stations only: Recyclables • Organics • Landfill • E-waste.
Clear icons and examples on each bin.
Desk bins → gone. You’ll cut contamination by a lot.
3) Switch your meeting menu
Default vegetarian. Dairy-light.
Bulk snacks (no mini plastic packs).
Water in jugs, not bottles.
4) Laptop & screen settings
Sleep at 5 min idle, display off at 2–3 min.
Dark mode, lower brightness.
Weekly restart policy to apply updates and keep devices efficient.
5) Buy less (and buy better)
Paper: recycled 70–80 gsm.
Pens: refillable.
Cleaning: concentrates in bulk, reusable bottles.
6) Travel rules (start small)
Default to video.
Trains over flights under 500–700 km where practical.
Cab-sharing between nearby colleagues.
7) Measure the baseline
Track this month:
kWh per person,
kg waste by stream,
litres of water (if metered),
% remote meetings vs. travel.
Announce the plan in one message. Name an owner for each line item. Share the first dashboard in 30 days.
Days 31–60: Systems that stick
1) Green procurement checklist (use it for every PO)
Score vendors on:
Recycled content or take-back offered.
Repairability/spares.
Packaging (no foam; flat-pack; bulk).
Distance to your office (shipping miles).
Pick the top-scoring option that meets spec.
2) Device life extension
Standardize RAM/SSD upgrades instead of replacements.
Certified refurb for second screens and docks.
E-waste pick-up with certificates, quarterly.
3) Lighting & plugs
Replace burnt-out bulbs with LED only.
Smart strips for phantom loads (chargers, TV screens).
Motion sensors in meeting rooms and bathrooms.
4) Kitchen loop
Filtered water.
Compost organics (tie up with a local composter if on-site isn’t possible).
Coffee: beans, not pods (or use recyclable pods with a take-back).
5) Print-free by design
E-sign tools.
QR for visitor forms.
Limit print access to roles that truly need it.
6) Clean data, cleaner cloud
Quarterly data spring clean: archive/delete heavy files and duplicate media from shared drives.
Prefer lighter formats for internal docs (PDF over PPT where possible).
Days 61–90: Culture, contracts, and bigger moves
1) Bake it into policy
Green travel clause: approvals required for short-haul flights.
Catering standards: vegetarian default; no single-use plastics.
Events: reusable signage, hire not buy, composting on-site.
2) Vendor clauses
Packaging take-back on deliveries.
Service teams to carry reusable crates.
Annual impact data from key suppliers.
3) Office fit-out choices
Modular furniture, not glued chipboard.
Low-VOC paints/adhesives.
Flooring tiles that can be swapped, not ripped.
4) Commuter nudges
Secure cycle parking and showers if space allows.
Staggered hours or WFH to cut peak-time trips.
Transit stipend where it makes sense.
5) Publish the scoreboard
Month 1 vs Month 3: kWh, waste diversion %, water, travel km.
Share wins and misses. Keep it honest.
What to measure (keep it simple)
Energy: kWh per person per month.
Waste: kg by stream; diversion rate %.
Water: litres per person (if metered).
Travel: trips by mode; flight km avoided.
Purchases: % with recycled content or take-back.
If it can’t be measured, it won’t last.
Playbook snippets you can copy-paste
Kickoff note (email/Slack):
Team — from Monday we’re rolling out simple changes to cut waste and bills. AC at 24–25°C, no desk bins, 4 waste stations, mugs only, duplex/BW printing, and default video for short trips. We’ll share a tiny dashboard every month. Owners: Ops—waste, IT—devices & print, Admin—kitchen & purchasing. Questions → #green-office.
Green procurement line in a PO:
Supplier to provide recyclable or take-back packaging, and product spares for 5 years. Preference to recycled content. Confirm in writing before PO acceptance.
Meeting invite footer:
This is a low-waste meeting. Bring a bottle/mug. Vegetarian snacks only. No disposables.
Pitfalls to avoid
Buying “eco swag” you don’t need.
Fancy bins with no training.
Printing dashboards to prove you printed less.
Pushing rules without assigning owners.
Calling it a “project.” It’s operations.
A simple cost–benefit snapshot (typical)
+1°C on AC setpoint → 3–8% less cooling energy.
Remove desk bins → higher recycling rate with no capex.
Duplex/BW + release-to-print → big paper drop in week 1.
LED swap on burnout → lower bills, better light.
Final thought
Sustainability at work isn’t a manifesto.
It’s defaults, checklists, and habits you barely notice after a month.
Start with one floor.
Prove it in 30 days.
Then make it the way you work.
Forward this to your office manager.
Bookmark it for your Monday standup.