Greening your Office
(image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
With Earth Day approaching it might be a good time to take a look at how "green" we are at work. Whether you're an employee or own your business, sharing your eco-values at work can encourage others to get involved. Why not start a "Green Team" by recruiting employees or coworkers who can assess your organization's needs and then draw up a plan to go green? Once the plan has been set in motion keep track of your progress and continue to set more goals.
Greening your business can create a positive work environment which will then translate into a happier and more productive workplace. By reducing waste and increasing efficiencies you are not only helping the planet but your bottom line as well.
Start greening your office with these simple steps from the David Suzuki Foundation:
1. Commute smarter
- walk or cycle to work
- take public transportation and buy bulk passes to save money
- carpool or car share
- choose hybrid rentals and taxis
2. Save energy
- if you're not using it, turn it off
- enable energy saving settings on all equipment
- unplug anything that still sucks energy even when it's turned off
- plug equipment into power bars and turn them off until needed
3. Live healthier
- choose foods that are local, organic and sustainable for meetings etc.
- get rid of toxic cleaners and personal products in your office kitchens and bathrooms
- add plants to your workspace–they filter the air
- take the stairs instead of elevator
4. Waste less
- set "double sided" as the default setting on your printer
- go electronic instead of printing out hard copies; use web resources, get e-subscriptions.
- switch to cloth towels and napkins in kitchens and bathrooms
- compost kitchen scraps
5. Conserve water
- ban bottled water–use a stainless steel commuter cup
- keep a pitcher of water in the fridge instead of running the tap
- scrape dishes instead of rinsing before putting them in the dishwasher
- don't pour water, tea or black coffee down the drain–use it to water plants
For more ways to green your office, check out these books, DVDs and ebooks:
4 thoughts on “Greening your Office”
Great tips! Many I already have started and new ones to add. Thanks!
Using black coffee or tea to water plants? How interesting!!!
Thanks for the comment Marj! I’m always finding out new ways to help the environment, too. The nice thing is that every little bit helps. Keep it up!!
Hi Aleks, it’s the same idea as taking your coffee grinds and working them into your garden. I’ve picked up free bags of grinds from my local Starbucks! Tea leaves work, too. Thanks for your comment.