9 Benefits of Teleworking for the Environment
Do you know the benefits of teleworking? Telecommuting is a work modality that has more and more followers. According to the European Union, the number of people who work from home or from any other place outside the usual workplace will increase by 66% in 2020.
Many companies are betting on this type of work to reduce costs and improve productivity. But did you know that telecommuting also has benefits for the environment? Next, we explain what the benefits of teleworking.
Online work and its benefits for the environment
The benefits of teleworking are obvious. By working from home, we reduce our environmental impact in several ways. Let’s see what they are:
1. Reduces CO2 emissions
Excellent benefits of teleworking, as it significantly reduces CO2 emissions, since we avoid daily trips by car or public transport. In fact, according to an Atmosphere study, teleworking reduces CO2 emissions by 90%. That means that if all the workers in a central office worked from home, we could avoid emitting more than 50 tons of CO 2 into the atmosphere.
2. Reduced Paper Use
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, paper accounts for 27% of all recyclable waste in the United States. Workers who telecommute don’t need to print as much as those who work in offices, which means less paper consumed and fewer trees cut down.
In fact, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, if all workers in the United States telecommute just one day a week, they would avoid consuming more than 100 million sheets of paper each year. Impressive benefits of telecommuting, right?
3. Reduces energy use
Office and commercial buildings are responsible for 19% of the total energy consumption in the United States, according to the Department of Energy. By telecommuting, workers do not need to travel to their offices and therefore reduce energy consumption.
4. Less use of plastic
Telecommuting also means a reduction in the use of plastics. For example, according to the Association of Environmental Consultants, telecommuting can reduce plastic consumption in offices by 50%, because less stationery and food containers are needed.
5. Reduces traffic
According to the International Telework Association and Council, teleworking can reduce traffic in cities by 20%, because workers do not need to commute to their offices every day. This means fewer cars on the roads and therefore less air pollution. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, traffic is responsible for 60% of the carbon dioxide and 50% of the nitrogen oxides that pollute the air in the United States. Reducing traffic means, as a result, cleaner air to breathe, are great benefits of remote.
6. Slows climate change
According to a study by Carbon fund, if all workers in the US who can telecommute did so for two days at week, more than 130 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year would be avoided. To put this in perspective, that’s the equivalent of taking 11 million cars off the road. Telecommuting, therefore, can help reduce our carbon footprint and take a step back from climate change, it stands to reason that it is one of the most important benefits of teleworking.
Without a doubt, there is a concern for the environment thanks to working from home, which should motivate more companies to offer this option to their employees. Well, taking care of our planet is our duty, but it will help you to have less costs in the productivity of your company.
Benefits of working from home
There are many benefits of teleworking both on a personal and professional level. Below, we detail the main ones for the worker and for the employer:
7. Comfort for the worker
One of the main benefits of teleworking is comfort. The worker does not have to travel daily and can be in his most comfortable environment, be it his own home or an alternative workplace. This also means that you can work in your pajamas if you wish.
8. Time saved
By not having to travel, the worker saves a great deal of time. According to the ILO study, teleworking reduces travel by 20%. This represents significant savings both in terms of time and costs.
9. Increased Productivity
If you work in a quiet environment without distractions, you may find it easier to focus and complete your tasks. You can also enjoy greater flexibility when it comes to your schedule, which means you can work at the time of day when you feel most productive. This type of work has increased since 2020 during the pandemic.
In conclusion, it can be mentioned that there are many benefits of teleworking, both for the worker and for the environment. We hope this article has given you an insight into some of them. Go ahead and try teleworking and enjoy all its benefits!
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