5 Ways to Make Your Office More Earth-Friendly

In recent years, you may have decided to become more eco-conscious and aware of your impact on the environment. While you may have already implemented recycling at home and utilizing reusable water bottles, there are many more steps that can be taken in your office space to lessen your impact on the earth. Included here are a few tips that can make your workplace more earth friendly and maybe save you some money!

Switch Off

You may have already heard of the electricity “vampires” in your home or office. Things like leaving a coffee maker plugged in while you’re not using it can continue to drain small amounts of power that add up. Before leaving the office, be aware of any small appliances you have left turned on; the biggest offender is often your computer. Take the time to shut down your computer properly and save yourself from an electricity vampire.

Bring Your Own Dishes

Using a plastic fork and paper plate every day can accumulate waste quickly. By making the simple change of bringing a reusable plate and utensils to work you will greatly save on waste accumulation. Many coffee shops even offer a discount on your coffee if you bring in a reusable thermos. You will save money and waste by using your own silverware and save those disposable products from the landfill.

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Telecommute

This is an option which you would probably resort to if given the option. Unfortunately, this is not available for all employees; but if you have the opportunity, take it! Working from home allows you to save on transportation energy, gas and time; save your office’s resources; and allows you to monitor your use of energy resources from home. Not to mention, avoiding that long commute can reduce stress and keep you sharper for work.

Hit the Lights

Turning off a light when you leave a room is a big energy saver! You may think you are being considerate by leaving the light on for the next person, but consider how much wasted energy is accrued while waiting for the next person who may never come. Shut the lights off at home, in office and in the restroom.

Read Online

By keeping your resources and textbooks online, you are greatly saving on paper costs. It can also be easier to reference things and look up previous pages if you save them online. Do not spend time printing your emails, it is rare that any of those need to be used offline. If you absolutely must print out an email or guide, be sure to print on both sides of the paper. You can also utilize an e-reader for any books necessary for work in order to save resources.