Our collective future depends on sustainability. There are many factors that can help people embrace sustainability, whether it’s electric cars, LED lights, or even solar panels. The idea of becoming more sustainable has become increasingly popular, but not just as a growing fad, but as a way to help pave the way to a brighter future.

As a facility manager, you may have heard of different ways to make your facility more sustainable, but have you embraced them yet? We’re going to give you a few tips and tricks to help you learn more about sustainability. We’ll even show you ways that you can make your facility more sustainable and eco-friendly.

What is Sustainability & Why is it Important?

Sustainability essentially means that everything we need to survive, and thrive, as a society all depends on our natural environment. This means utilizing building and energy sources that can either be recycled or continuous. We’ve seen great strides with eco-friendly cars, low-energy devices, and even building materials. Sustainability is important because it helps society become self-reliant and it steers us away from utilizing materials that can be harmful to the environment.

Ways That Can Help You Make Your Facility More Sustainable

Whether you’re about to break ground and build a new facility, or you’re looking to renovate your current one, there are several ways that you can reduce your facility’s carbon output. Utilizing some of these methods and materials will not only help you make your facility greener, but you’ll also notice a reduction in overall costs and maintenance.

• Saving on Energy: There are several ways that you can reduce your facility’s energy A really effective way is by getting rid of any incandescent or fluorescent lights, and replacing them with more efficient ones like CFL or LED light bulbs. You can even invest in some solar panels to put on the roof, which will help you utilize clean energy while reducing your overall costs.
• Improve Your Recycling: Recycling is one of the backbones to sustainability, and ensuring that the proper things are being recycled helps the wheels of sustainability turn. This also includes replacing disposable items with more eco-friendly ones that can be easily recycled.
• Invest in HDPE: HDPE plastic is a strong and durable material that can have a variety of applications, including lockers, vanities, and bathroom partitions. This material is low maintenance, mold/mildew resistant, and best of all, 100% recyclable, containing roughly anywhere between 25-100% pre-consumer material.
• Going Green: There are plenty of ways that you can go green. This includes taking advantage of beautiful weather by opening the windows and turning off the air. You can also use green cleaning materials to reduce your use of harmful chemicals.

The Importance of Being Sustainable

Making your facility sustainable can have positive effects on the environment, your occupants’ outlook, and even your overhead costs. Sustainability not only helps you save money on your costs, but it can have a positive effect on the health of your occupants, and it even contributes to reducing harmful emissions that are detrimental to the environment.

Want to start taking the steps towards making your facility more sustainable? Download Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, a free eBook from your friends at Scranton Products.