Leading the scene at being green
Being green isn't just something we add to our agenda, it's part of the fabric of BE.
BE Offices is unique in that we have our own in-house project team, The Green Group. Established in 2009, the Green Group was formed to measure and challenge every process in our business that has an environmental impact, to make every one of those processes greener, more energy efficient and better for the environment. The group monitors our green and energy KPIs and report on a monthly basis on recycling performance, waste and energy consumption at every business centre and at our head office.
With direct responsibility for our green, CSR and environmental issue, they have an integral say in our decision making processes for all new ventures.
We have an ambitious goal to be carbon neutral by the end of 2020.
Why do we go the extra mile to be green?
Quite simply because it means you can rest assured that by being in BE Offices workspace you are working in an eco-friendly environment.
BE Offices’ Green Group have delivered a number of exciting policy changes and initiatives:
1. Zero landfill policy: Zero landfill was first achieved through our waste partners BPR in 2015 with non-recycable waste producing electricity that’s sold back to the national grid.
2. Energy from renewable sources: In 2018 we switched energy supplier to one who generates electricity from only renewable sources.
3. The binless office: The introduction of the binless office concept in 2015, to encourage clients, staff and partners to use recycling points in offices instead of bins under desks saw a 25% increase in recycling volumes.
4. Motion sensor lighting: Introduced motion sensor lighting at UK centres to reduce electricity use when office space is empty.
5. LED lighting: As of January 2020 we are 74% of the way through a multi-million pound programme to install LED lights throughout the entire portfolio.
6. Single-use plastics: Where possible we have removed single-use plastics including plastic water cups and plastic used in our catering services.
7. Chemical use: In partnership with our cleaning company we have successfully reduced the number of cleaning agents we use to just 5 and each one is chemical free.
Recycling and green schemes
We go above and beyond business basics to ensure we are leading our industry...
Recycling
It is estimated that our bin-less offices recycling initiative reduces waste by 86%.
BE Offices recycled over 323 tonnes of business waste over the last year, almost the equivalent of a large yacht.
Recycling our coffee grounds produces coffee logs which can be used for wood burners and multi-fuel stoves.
For every kilo of food waste we recycle our waste disposal company donates 25p to Fareshare, which in turn pays for one meal for a vulnerable person. This scheme was introduced in late 2019 enabling us to donate 64 meals to people in need.
In 2019 our recycling efforts saved 924 trees.
Green Schemes
Bike racks and cycle to work scheme
Reducing your carbon foot-print is goal that every business and individual must look at to be considered green. This is why we have installed bike racks at most of our business centres to allow our clients to use a cycle to get to work. These have been incredibly popular and as always we will continue to provide extras to our clients at no extra cost as part of our 'all-inclusive' policy.
We also have a cycle to work scheme for BE staff, which allows individuals an easy and cost-effective method of purchasing a bicycle.
Carbon neutral hosting servers
We are proud to have the UK's first carbon neutral hosting servers for our online platforms. Our hosted servers are powered by hydro-electricity, a green source of energy and we attempt to limit the carbon footprint of all energy utilised.
Reclaim IT
We have set up Reclaim IT recycle points in our centres to recycle old ink and toner cartridges and mobile phones to encourage clients to recycle 100% of their waste. We have committed to donating 100% of the value raised to our two chosen charities, Dogs Trust and Rays of Sunshine.
The Facts!
1. BE Offices recycle enough waste each year to cover a football pitch
2. Save enough carbon each year equivilant to nearly 6,000 car journeys from London to Edinburgh and back
3. Or keep a kettle boiling for over 5056 days. the equivalent of almost 14 years
4. Or leaving a dishwasher on for almost 17 years
5. Or flying to New York from London 3.1 times.
At our head office, it has been calculated that each employee recycles 2.0 kg per week.
For the latest information on the Green Group’s initiatives please view our Green News and Press Releases
