DIY Tips to Build a Zero Waste Office

you can apply zero waste office ide ideas at the workplace also. Though it’s not as easy as at home to control your daily wastes in the office. But nothing is hard only if you wish to do it!

Zero Waste Office Ideas to reduce waste

Why not recycle an old board or trestle? Instead of throwing them away, how about creating a new stylish desk from them? These are some creative ideas to create a new office using recycled materials.

A wooden board can be used to make a hanging desk

These are only a few of the eco-friendly actions you can take to help preserve the planet. To limit waste, it is better to avoid throwing in the trash any object that is no longer used: a wooden board, a plastic bottle, a wine box… All these objects can be transformed and have a second life.

A wooden plank Why leave it in your garage? Why not make an office out of it? This is how to make a hanging desk.

• A large wooden board;
• Very strong rope
• A hole saw
• A sander.

These are the steps:

• Sand the board until it is smooth. The board can then be painted or varnished to your liking. You can leave it as is. It is important to protect it against insects and moisture.
• You will need to use the hole saw for two holes at each end. These holes are used to thread the rope.
• Through the holes, thread a rope of the appropriate length through each hole. To secure the board, tie a knot at the end of each rope. Continue the process at the opposite end of the board.
• Attach the steel hook to the wall and hang the table.

Print sensibly

Office workers use approximately 75kg of paper each year. An average of 400m euros is spent annually on unnecessary printing. This means that more than one million trees will be cut. To reduce this waste, it is best to only print documents when absolutely necessary. These are some easy rules to keep in mind:

• Prefer black and white printing
• Print both sides of the paper
• You can recycle sheets that were only printed on one side.
• To optimize the printing surface, reduce the font size and leave narrow margins.

These small gestures will help to reduce the amount of paper and toner used.

It is possible to reduce paper consumption by not installing a printer on every floor.

A large desk can be made with a wooden door

Classic desks may not be enough for those who require a lot of workspaces. It is possible to make a custom desk. This is the material you will need to do this work.

• An old wooden door;
• Two trestles;
• A sander;
• A box of putty
• Fixing brackets and screws

Rehabilitating an old door is the most important part of the job. Filling the holes and cracks in the wood is therefore essential. These are the manufacturing steps.

• Begin by taking out the handle and lock, then sanding the door.
• Then vacuum the dust and fill in the grooves with putty. Let dry completely before you sand all surfaces.
• Use the fixing brackets and screws to attach the converted door to both trestles.

To save time, it is best to use two identical trestles. There is a good chance they won’t be the same height if you take two different trestles. If this happens, the feet must be removed.

Bring your own cup, water bottle, and lunch box to work

Avoid plastic containers, such as cups, water bottles and disposable dishes. Due to a lack of recycling, approximately 13 million tons of plastic is found each year in nature, especially in the oceans. It is a good idea to bring your own water bottle, mug, and lunchbox to work. You can also avoid plastic bags by using a fabric bag.

Even if the company doesn’t have a canteen available, it is a good idea to make your own meals. Another option is to have a small lunch with coworkers.

If possible, opt for products made of recyclable materials such as yogurt and take-out meals.

Create a wooden desk using boxes

This DIY This allows you to create a fully-recovered desk with a large worktop, shelves, and shelf. You will need:

• Wooden boxes (the number of wooden boxes varies depending on the desk’s height and the box dimensions).
• A wooden board;
• Screws
• An electric screwdriver

DIY Tips to Build a Zero Waste Office

• Sand the wood board and fill in any holes.
• Sand the wooden boxes as well.
• To assemble the desk, superimpose the wooden boxes on the legs. Next, place the wooden board on the top.
• Use screws to attach the board to the boxes.
• You can paint the office to your taste.

The boxes need not be the same shape. What is important is that they overlap so that the height can be achieved. You can also use boxes of different shapes to get different boxes.

Sorting of waste

While recycling paper waste at work is mandatory, the garbage cans for offices are not designed to handle the paper waste. Recycled paper is 3x more energy-intensive than paper made from vegetable fibers or tree leaves. Awareness is key.

You can also recycle organic waste. This includes food scraps and fruit peelings, tea grounds, and other wastes that end up in the garbage or in the landfill. Bio-waste can even be made into compost that can be used to grow plants. A vermicomposting machine in the office can be a zero-waste investment.

It doesn’t cost anything to speak to management if your business or company does not have a compost bin or sorting garbage can.

Make a wooden desk using pallets

It is impossible to miss the wood Pallets You can use them in a zero-waste decoration project. You can easily find them at the market gardeners or in supermarkets. To create a stylish desk with pallets you will need:

• A wooden pallet;
• Two trestles, or two wooden boxes.
• A glass plate with the same dimensions as the wooden pallet.
• Of the adhesive ;
• An electric sander.

Preparation is the most difficult step and consumes the most energy. To speed up the process, it is a good idea to use an electric sander. This is how you build a desk.

• Sand the pallet and the rest of the trestles with a sandpaper and vacuum up any dust.
• Place the pallet on the trestles and fix it with screws or brackets.
• Put the glass plate on the pallet and glue the corners.

To create a personal desk, you can use two glasses plates and place the plastic film with patterns on them.

Use an ecological search engine

A classic search engine will tell you that every query results in one CO2 emission. About 2% of global CO2 emissions. This is because personal data allows for better targeting advertisements.

There are currently ecological search engines like DuckDuckGo that offer a completely untraceable browsing experience. This search engine doesn’t record any personal data and respects users’ privacy. It also does not store search histories, which is not applicable to advertising targeting.

Search engines often donate large amounts of their profits to programs that reforest the planet. Ecosia, for example, has planted more than 7 million trees all over the globe.

Blackle is the dominant color of the Blackle search engine to conserve energy. Lilo, for its part, finances both environmental and social projects.

A minimalist office is possible

This sleek desk is perfect for minimalist interiors. To be successful, you don’t need to be a handyman. It is essential to have the following:

• A wooden board;
• Two fixing brackets
• Screws

These are the manufacturing steps

• To protect the wood board, sand it and then apply varnish.
• Place the board on the wall and mark its position. Then, attach the brackets.
• Place the board on the brackets, and screw it in place.

Although this desk is easy to set up, it should be mounted on a strong wall. This minimalist desk can be placed near a window to create a bright layout. There are no lockers to store files. It is possible to place them on multiple levels in order to compensate. You can use the first level as a desk, and the other levels as shelves for your items.

Get rid of your junk mail

There is a digital waste as well as real waste. This includes thousands of documents and emails that are not needed and stored in the cloud as well as in energy-intensive data centers. It is estimated that 80% of email messages are not opened. These elements have a devastating impact on the planet as 10 grams of carbon dioxide are produced from each email that is stored. 

They can quickly heat up because they use a lot of energy. It is important to cool them off by getting rid of all useless emails. It is important that you know that 30 deleted emails are equal to the energy consumed by a lightbulb for one day. Spam also produces more CO2 than 3 million cars each year. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Eliminate useless newsletters
• Instead of sending multiple emails, send instant messages to your colleagues.
• Use a USB drive to send files
• It is preferable to exchange over the telephone.

Heating is responsible for nearly half of an organization’s energy expenses. It is important to have warm clothes in winter. It is possible to turn off the air conditioner by wearing lightweight clothing in the summer and turning on fans.

Unplugging office devices before going home

Many employees use digital tools. Unplugging all computers in the office is a great way to reduce energy consumption. A desktop computer that is in standby mode or turned off still uses electricity.

It is recommended that the computer be put to sleep as soon as possible after inactivity, particularly during breaks and office meetings.