DSH, an eco-friendly working space: Minimizing electricity consumption

Dar Si Hmad NGO supports its environmental mission with changes in its own working space. Among the many decisions that our organization took to contribute to the world’s big climate movement, even though in a small way, is the minimization of electricity use in the office. Thus, we have adopted three main measures in order to make our work place more eco-friendly.

To start with, Dar Si Hmad replaced the incandescent light bulbs in the office with led light bulbs. The latter aren’t only more environmental-friendly, but they also have a longer life cycle, use less energy, produce less heat and are safer as they contain no mercury. On a published article on the Energy Saver governmental website, it was cited that “Residential LEDs -- especially ENERGY STAR rated products -- use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting”. Hence, the led light bulbs in our office are both durable and energy-cost savers. And above all, we rarely have to turn the lights on in the work place since it is generally naturally illuminated.

All rooms in Dar Si Hmad contain large windows that keep them full of light during the day time, a reason why we don’t frequently run for artificial light. In fact, this wouldn’t have been possible if we didn’t supply the windows with second glass panes that protect the place from the cold and stormy weather all by  allowing the sun rays to reach the inside of the office when the outside wood panes are completely open.

The third step Dar Si Hmad follows to make its office more eco-friendly is by unplugging the appliances that are not being used. On October 2019, The New York Times pointed out statistics from the Natural Resources Defense Council that say that the cost of plugged-in but not used devices is about $165 per household, or $19 billion across the U.S. That amounts to about 44 million tons of carbon dioxide, or 4.6% of the country’s total residential electricity generation.

All in all, it appears that controlling the electricity consumption in the workplace isn’t only ecological, but  also more economical.

DSH, an eco-friendly working space: Replacing single-use items

For a non-governmental organization that promotes environmental justice, having an eco-friendly work space is a prerequisite. For Dar Si Hmad, going green translates to many different practices. Among these, replacing single-use items tops the list.

As Dar Si Hmad frequently hosts groups of students and researchers in its work space as part of the Ethnographic Field School (EFS) and the Language and Research Center (CELAR), our organization makes sure to equip its kitchen with reusable utensils. These reduce the amount of waste produced in the office, and also promote litter-less lunches among the staff.

Since staff know that they will always find all the necessary kitchen utensils they need during their lunch break, they do not order food from nearby restaurants or cafes, where their coffee would be served in plastic cup, for example. In addition, the organic waste from food and drink in the office becomes compost that we use to fertilize the land of the pedagogical farm Dar Si Hmad is revitalizing in Boutmezguida.

Dar Si Hmad also applies this green mentality in the office by going paper-free. Spills can only be found in the kitchen, since it is the only area where staff are allowed to eat, and Dar Si Hmad opts for micro-fiber cloths to clean, as they can be reused multiple times, a decision that is both more ecological and more affordable.

Dar Si Hmad also reduces paper waste by supplying the workplace with multiple white boards. These erasable boards minimize the use of paper during brainstorming sessions, especially since staff hold many meetings to develop project ideas and create program content. Once the work is done, the essential notes are transferred to computer software. 

Another way our office reduces paper use is our printing policy. At Dar Si Hmad, printing is only allowed for external communications, namely administrative communications. Besides this, if any activity within the organization requires hard copies, we make sure to print on both sides and even print on old, used papers that still have a blank side.

In a world where the climate is heavily impacted by every day practices, Dar Si Hmad believes that by adjusting their small habits within the organization’s office, they are contributing in a small way to the global movement.