Green offices have a variety of benefits like a healthier, more productive workforce, an improved bottom line and the relieving feeling of doing your part for the planet and your community. From how you get to work to your daily work habits, here are some simple guidelines to help you green your work space up a bit.
Use Less Energy
We are all dependent on our laptops, in fact, working without it seems impossible. Rather than work without it (because that’s just crazy!) change the energy settings. By switching the settings to energy saving option and shutting computers down completely (not standby), you can save a ton of energy. Plug hardware that is used occasionally into a power strip with an on/off button, so they are only drawing in energy when needed.
Electronic Documents
Despite being in such a technological advanced age, we devour large amounts of paper, use it once and then it is thrown away. The more you utilize digital documents, the happier you, as well as the trees, will be. When purchasing paper, buy recycled paper with a low amount of bleaching. If you must use non-recycled paper, print on both sides and use any scraps as note paper. Don’t stop with paper, use recycled materials like pens, pencils and envelopes as well.
Green Up the Ride In
Rush hour traffic causes many of us to waste a huge amount of gas. By carpooling, walking/biking or public transportation, you can reduce your contribution to the billion gallons of gas that are wasted each year. If you cannot live without your car, consider getting a hybrid or even a scooter!
Work from Home
Telecommuting is growing in today’s workforce. Video conferencing, the cloud and other tools, make it easy to work from home and reduce travel time. So, cut down on energy and time commuting- you can even work in your sweatpants!
It’s All In Your Lunch
Bring your lunch in reusable containers and you can avoid the trash and calories from eating out. We keep reusable plates and utensils in the break room so our trash doesn’t pile up.