15 Tips for A Greener Workplace
The choices we make every day have a big impact on our environment. Here are some helpful tips to making your workplace more green:
1. Recycle Toner and Ink Cartridges
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."
2. Consider a Flexible Work Schedule
Instant messaging, video conferencing, and other innovative workflow tools make effective telecommuting a reality. Telecommuting one day per week or working four ten-hour days instead of five eight-hour days reduces your gas consumption by 20 percent.
3. Promote Your Eco-Friendly Habits
Choose recycled stock when printing marketing materials, and be sure to include the recycle symbol. This lets customers know that you are doing your best to protect and preserve the environment.
4. Think Before You Print
File electronic copies of documents instead of printing them when possible. If you have to print, set your printer to print double-sided documents if possible and reuse misprints as notepaper before recycling. Choose paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content and a minimum of chlorine bleaching.
5. Make Recycling Easy
Position a recycling bin at all desks to encourage all employees to recycle.
6. Reuse Shipping Material
If your office ships packages, reuse boxes and use shredded waste paper as packing material.
7. Update Your Office Lighting
Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents or the new generation of high-end LED desk lamps that use significantly smaller amounts of energy. Take advantage of natural daylight for energy savings and improved worker productivity and satisfaction.
8. Eat Smarter
Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for meals you eat at the office. By using your own coffee mug, you'll be doing your part to reduce the 1.9 million tons of disposable cups that end up in landfills each year.
9. Calling All Recyclers
Recycle your old cell phones. Organizations such as ReCellular.com will refurbish, recycle and reuse handsets.
10. Update Your Computers
When it's time to replace older desktop computers, switch to a laptop for more efficiency. They use 80 percent less energy and the portability helps with telecommuting.
11. Green Your Workplace with Plants
Plants not only beautify your workplace, they act as natural air filters and can absorb some airborne pollutants.
12. Buy Environmentally Responsible Products
Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials, and use paint free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that off-gas toxic chemicals. Make sure your cleaning service uses green cleaning products.
13. Travel Smart
If you have to rent a car, consider a hybrid or other high-mileage vehicle. Also, make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.
14. Relax the Dress Code
Casual attire saves on cleaning costs. Lighter clothes also permit the office thermostat to be set higher in warm weather.
15. Cut Down On Energy Use
Setting computers to return to "sleep mode" when not being used can cut energy use by 70 percent. Shut computers down entirely when leaving for the day. Turn off lights in used spaces, or install motion-activated sensors. Lighting in commercial buildings accounts for 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
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* Recycled paper is available only as a custom quote, which is not part of our 48-Hour Guarantee.