The term sustainable was once rarely used but it is now a common occurrence in our vocabulary. From building products and your home’s electricity to shopping bags and your next fitness regime – everything revolves around its sustainability properties. So why shouldn’t IT be the same? It should, and it is! Forward thinking information technology companies such as Keyspace are now well and truly on board with ‘green IT’. This shows that a sustainable approach to everything in your life is the way of the future. Below are some great ideas for how your business can adopt better sustainable IT practices.

Where to Start

The first step in generating more sustainable IT is to completely pull your business apart. Look at everything you’re using and start asking questions about why it’s there, how economically viable it is, and how much energy it’s actually using. If you find it too overwhelming to break down yourself, have a green audit done to see where your business is sitting on the sustainability ladder.

Keeping Up

Think long-term, not short-term. As technology plays a huge role in the business world, you have to stay current so your business still has legs to stand on in the future. Making sure you have the right IT infrastructure is vital as this can affect how easily (or not so easily) your business is able to grow. Perhaps you have multiple workstations and using one offsite server will be the best option for cost and efficiency. Creating ‘green IT’ policies is another great way to meet growing demands and create an holistic, long-term system for your business and your future and present staff.

Get the Right Stuff

Computers use a lot of energy. Ensure you have sustainable products as this will be a huge boost to creating long-term solutions for your business. EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) products are the way of the future, and devices from computers and laptops through to displays and integrated systems are all available in options that qualify for EPEAT. These products are more energy efficient, and will save you on costs and environmental impact. They are also less toxic in their manufacture so they can be easily recycled. These products are generally longer lasting – they won’t just provide a short-term sustainable benefit.

Manage Your Impact

A great way to manage your business’s impact is to think about how you dispose of all your unwanted IT items. Don’t just chuck that old laptop in the rubbish bin or have an unused monitor gathering dust in the corner. Recycle! By recycling your old devices, you are ensuring all reusable parts will be saved. Make sure to turn monitors off when they’re not in use and put your computer in sleep mode. This is a simple but effective way to save on energy consumption.

Sustainability should not be a scary subject – it should be your driving force for the future. Installing long-term sustainability devices and procedures in your workplace will create a secure, competitive, forward thinking business for your employees and customers. That’s a big win for everyone!

How sustainable is your work environment? What ways do you think your business could improve? Include your answers in the space below.