(Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_770622.html)

Due to increasing awareness that the main contributors of environmental problems today are the organisations, more local organisations like Ricoh Asia Pacific and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) are doing their part for the environment. As mentioned by Dr Tan Yen Kheng from Nanyang Technological University, ‘buildings account for about one-third of Singapore’s electricity usage. Also, air-conditioning and lighting systems account for 75% of local energy consumption (Carolyn, 2012). Therefore, if organisations can reduce their energy consumption, our local carbon footprint will be significantly reduced.

Ricoh Asia pacific’s green practices

• “Green” notice board that features environmental activities done by regional sales teams
  • This is an example how informational and normative social norm in the office may encourage more green practices. Firstly, the “green” notice board may exert its informational social influence by informing the office workers what their regional counterparts are doing environmentally. This may lead them to follow suit as well. Secondly, the “green” notice board may also exert its normative social influence by displaying some form of green standards in the office. As such, going green would be the office norm that workers tend to conform to
• Disposing of waste in recycling room
  • One of the major barrier to recycling is inconvenience, Ricoh makes recycling more convenient by dedicating a recycling room in the office. Thus, behavioural affordance to recycling is enhanced
• Bench made from used toner cartridge
  • Reflects Ricoh’s recycling mantra
• Annual Eco Action Day
  • The annual Eco Action Day spearheaded by Ricoh is a commendable effort to enhance the workers’ availability heuristic for environmental concerns. To dedicate an office day for environmental cause speaks volume of the importance of environmentalism to Ricoh. Given the importance of being environmental in Ricoh, the green concepts are made more salient and available to the workers.
• Printing requires staff to press printers’ button manually
  • This manual process of printing leads to some form of inconvenience. Since people can be easily turn off by inconvenience, this may serve as a barrier to frivolous printing and wastage
• A4 paper made from sugarcane
  • Reduce the trees cut down, deforestation and possible soil erosion
• Air-conditioner set at 25 deg C (from 8am to 7pm)
  • Limitation on air-con usage not only reduces energy consumptions but also cut down on utility bills. This also indirectly set limitation on the working hours in Ricoh. This helps ensure the work-life balance of staff. As seen, this limitation can benefit the environment, company and also the mental well-being of the staff

Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board’s green practices

• Photos of staff used as “wobblers” placed next to switch – Serve to remind
  • Mere reminders are not completely effective to encourage pro-environmental behaviours like switching off light. Furthermore, these reminders could even be perceived as demands. According to the theory of reactance, people may even engage in the discouraged behaviours to demonstrate their independence. In short, people don’t like to be told what to do. The “wobblers” is an ingenious way to removes one’s sense of anonymity to deter diffusion of responsibility