Balloons improve green office practices
15/03/2007 13:32

Balloons could hold the key to getting employees to turn their PCs off at the end of the day, according to Global Action Plan (GAP).

Recent research has shown that tonnes of emissions are generated by electrical office equipment being needlessly left on overnight, having a massive impact on the environment.

This is a behavioural issue, with employees stuck in their ways when it comes to switching off printers, faxes and PCs when the end of the day comes, according to GAP.

However, it has stated that there maybe an innovative new idea that will help employees change their habits.

GAP and a major unnamed company struck upon the idea of using balloons to implement a change in employee practices when developing an environmental strategy for the firm.

It worked by using balloons emblazoned with a CO2 logo and placing them on the desks of employees who left their computer on overnight.

Workers were not told of the meaning of the balloons but soon cottoned on. Moreover, they soon started to turn their computers off when the balloons reappeared on the desks of offenders in the following days.

GAP claims that the system works as it creates a sense of peer pressure in the workplace for employees to become environmentally-friendly.

This peer pressure also meant that the system stuck and that few people returned to their old habits, helping the company save money on electricity bills and improve its green credentials.

At Paperstone, we can help you improve your environmental credibility with energy saving light bulbs and recycled office supplies.