Being Green at Work Is Easier than You Think

Whether your office space is in a large multi-story building, in your home, or at a café, there are many ways you can reduce the carbon footprint of your office. Here are five ways to make your office a little greener:

Be a paper pincher. 

• Use the double-sided feature of your printer/copier whenever possible. 
• Use already printed paper for scratch paper or shred it and use it as a packing material. 
• Think before you print.  Ask yourself if it’s necessary.
• Purchase recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content.

Recycle and reuse regularly. 

• Make recycling easy with clearly marked and conveniently located recycling bins. 
• Recycle old electronics, cell phones, and office equipment as well as paper and plastics.  You can donate them to be reused instead of thrown away. 
• Look for offers or packaging that encourages you to send back products like empty ink cartridges.

Use energy-efficient lighting. 

• Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescents that save substantial amounts of energy and last much longer than incandescent light bulbs.
• Turn off the lights when you are not in the room and especially when rooms will not be occupied for entire weekends. 
• Invest in occupancy sensors to make sure lights are not used when no one is present.

Power off and unplug. 

• Power off your computers and unplug cords when not using your equipment.  Unnecessary energy is wasted when items such as cell phone chargers and computer adapters are still plugged into the wall. 
• Screen savers are not actually saving energy.  Put your computer to sleep when you step away for a short period of time.

Use your thermostat wisely. 

• Adjusting your thermostat a few degrees can make a big difference.
• Maintain heating and air conditioning units to ensure they operate efficiently.
• When remodeling or building an office, follow EPA regulations to maximize energy efficiency and even receive tax credits for doing so.
   

Although Kermit the Frog might not have found it easy to be green, he certainly wasn’t talking about your office.  Make these five easy tips a part of your office routine, and you’ll be doing your part to help the environment.