31 Aug

Green At the Office

Lissa Coffey

Lissa Coffey

Lissa Coffey

We’ve already gone green at home – with our reusable grocery bags, compact fluorescent light bulbs and energy efficient appliances.  Now we can bring our good habits to the office, too.  Here are some tips to get green at work:

-Go paperless.  Whenever possible, keep files on the computer, rather than on paper.  This also helps keep clutter under control!  Review correspondence onscreen rather than printing it out.  Send e-mails instead of letters.

-Save Energy.  Put computers, printers and fax machines into sleep mode whenever possible.  Even better, unplug them, or turn the power strip off, at the end of the day.  Save energy, and also save money!

-Turn on a new light.  Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, or use an LED desk lamp that consumes minimal energy.  Keep lights off in unoccupied areas.  Increase the amount of natural light in the office by keeping curtains and blinds open – this also helps to improve productivity.

-Recycle.  Make it easy for everyone to recycle papers by providing recycling bins.  Look for recycled paper for printing.  Use printers that can print double-sided to minimize paper use.

-Bring in the Green.  Potted plants help to filter the air and boost oxygen levels.  They also help to remove pollutants from the air, and add liveliness and color.

-Make Green a Policy.  A study from the Society for Human Resource Management showed that 43% of companies have no environmental policies in place, even though many companies have shown improved employee satisfaction and a stronger public image as a result of implementing a policy.  Share tips with your co-workers, and post ideas.  Get everyone on the same page.

Share this