EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report is about the environmental friendly programs for office. In this report, it outlines the brief background of the accounting firm and also provides properly programs, which are used successfully by some other companies, to help the firm become more environmental friendly. These programs can help the firm reduce waste and save resource for the environment. At present, it is considerable for all organizations to take the green programs to save resource and protect the environment. Some recommendations have been provided in this report for the all staff to carry out.
1.0 Introduction
Nowadays, there are more requirements about the environmental friendly economics, which require the companies to fulfil environmental policies to save resource and protect the environment. Questions have been asked as to whether there some environmental friendly programs to be used at workplace for the accounting firm.
The purpose of this report is to make some environmental friendly programmes for the accounting firm to take actions to protect the environment and save natural resources.
There are so many waste resources in the office such as the waste paper, magazines, paper cup, etc. These will cost great waste on the environment.
I have attempted to give some steps to gather programs to reduce these issues. Taking into account existing technology, I will make some programs and call on the all staff of this firm to carry out these environmental programs.
2.0 Discussion
The Reduction Program should be taken by the firm since organized groups have a tremendous opportunity to operate waste reduction programs (EPA, 2013). The reduction programs means to control this waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling it (EPA, 2013). As the Managing Partner indicates that the recycling/reusing program for paper and other resources is an important way to reduce waste for the firm. This program can help the firm to cut down on the amount of waste than we throw it away. They conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy (Missouri Department of Natural Resources).
Exchange program is another useful way to save the resources. According to University Alliance (2014), one example of a company is eBay which has already built its environmental sustainability into its business plan. Its online retail and auction site have provided an easy entrance for people all over the world to exchange and reuse goods rather than throwing them away. This also can help the firm to lengthen the lifespan of these products so they don’t wind up as trash (University Alliance 2014). Another example is Starbucks. By paying attention to create “green” stores, Starbucks has reduced both the operating costs and the environmental impact of its business practices.
Finally, Environmental Training is also a good program for the firm to adopt. According to the Global environmental management system of IBM, Environmental Training can improve the employees’ job responsibilities. The worldwide employees of IBM are periodically asked to read and certify their compliance to IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines. These Guidelines of IBM improve the responsibility of the employees to make them know that they have the obligation to carry out the corporate environmental policy and other environmental requirements of the company. From this Environmental Training, all the employees can understand the importance to take out the environmental policies. Additionally, this is also a good way to motivate staff to be involved in the programs. The green office program is also supported by the government of most of countries.
3.0 Conclusion
The natural resources are wasted all over the world with the rapidly development of technologies. Although the government and social organizations are requiring individuals and groups to take actions to save the natural resources, but the consequence is not so satisfied. Considering this issue, it is time for companies to take actions to save the resource by various methods. Above are some environmental friendly programs, which are used by many companies to reduce waste and save natural resource for the environment. In order to carry these programs better, it is necessary for the firm to train the staff like the Global environmental management system taken by IBM. Following are some recommendations which can help the firm to become more environmentally friendly.
4.0 Recommendations
A range of options will be provided in this part for the partners to make appropriate decisions for the firm. Our firm is a small one, so it is an advantage for the managers to implement these environmental friendly programs among all staff in the firm.
In the first step, the partners can make an environmental policy to require the staff to reduce, reuse, and recycle the firm’s resource such as paper, paper bag, magazines, water, electrics, etc. For example, the partner can make a requirement table for the staff to reduce to use papers or can they reuse papers with its back. The staff also need to develop the habit to save electrics. If they do not use the electrical equipments, they should turn down to save electrics.
The second step is that the firm can set up a meeting for the all staff to change their different ideas of how to contribute to the environmental friendly programs. During this meeting, the staff also can exchange and reuse goods to save the waste (Missouri Department of Natural Resources). Since there are only 45 staff in the firm, so I believe this is possible to implement in the firm.
The firm can reduce energy, save money and help the environment by buying and using ‘green’ office equipment. This recommendation maybe cost lot for the firm at the present time; however, it can benefit both the firm and the environment in a long time. According to University Alliance (2014), most managers and staff believe that the new equipment cost much, however, they don’t realize that operating office equipment can cost much more than the equipment costs them in the first place. In fact, this is a good recommendation for the firm to be environmental friendly. Since our firm is a small company, so to change the ‘green’ office equipments will not be so difficult.
To train the staff to make them believe that it is their responsibility to save the natural resource for the earth. As there are only 45 employees in our company, so the training program about friendly environment can be achieved. The training program should be taken weekly to supervise result of the programs implemented in the firm. In addition, the firm also needs to make a policy to motivate the staff to do better in the environmental friendly programs. For example, if one of employees is acting well with these programs, she or he can be rewarded. As a result, this kind of responsibility can involve the staff in doing something for the environment.
