Ten
Ways to Go Green at Work
1. Be bright about light
• Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity
use in office buildings.
• Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving
any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you
can.
• Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and
fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting,
and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights
when they're not needed.
2. Maximize computer efficiency
• Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion
worth of electricity a year.
• Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power
strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise,
you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight
oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't
need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day,
setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks
can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save
energy.
• Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors,
and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled.
Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste
and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work,
and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations
that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get
a tax deduction.)
3. Print smarter
• The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets
of copy paper a year.
• Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side
of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing
and print in draft mode whenever feasible.
• Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher
percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching
to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp,
organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy
remanufactured ones. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured
toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and
plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil." 4.
Go paperless when possible
• Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read
or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters,
magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list
before you recycle the item.
• Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials
online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update
that way too.
5. Ramp up your recycling
• Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects.
Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including
fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your
old cell phone, PDA, or pager.
• Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic
areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be
recycled.
6. Close the loop
• Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture
made from recycled materials.
7.
Watch what (and how) you eat
• Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those
meals you eat at the office.
• Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and
glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy
as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events.
Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.
8. Rethink your travel
• Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or subway when feasible
instead of a rental car when traveling on business. If you have to
rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage
vehicles.
• Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other
technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.
9. Reconsider your commute
• Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work,
and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally,
consider joining a car-sharing service like Zipcar and Flexcar instead
of owning your own wheels.
• Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that's
also good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take
alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks,
offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.
10. Create a healthy office environment
• Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten
up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
• Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that
are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic
chemicals.
4.
Go paperless when possible
7.
Watch what (and how) you eat
