Tips to Go Green in Your Office

A greener workplace can mean a lighter ecological footprint, a healthier and more productive place to work, and good news for the bottom line. Whether you’re the boss or the employee, whether your office is green already or still waiting to see the light, some practical steps can lay the groundwork for a healthy, low-impact workspace.

More Work, Less Energy

For many people, a computer is the central tool at work. Optimizing the energy settings for computers and other devices can be more than a modest energy saver. Set computers to energy-saving settings and make sure to shut them down when you leave for the day. By plugging hardware into a power strip with an on/off switch, the whole desktop setup can be turned off at once. Printers, scanners that are only used occasionally can be unplugged until they’re needed. And of course, turn off lights in spaces that are unoccupied.

Digitize

It does seem a bit strange that in the “digital age” we still consume enormous amounts of paper. The greenest paper is no paper at all, so keep things digital whenever possible. The more you do online, the less you need paper. Keep files on computers instead of in file cabinets. Review documents on screen rather than printing them out. Send emails instead of paper letters.

Use Green Materials

Some paper use can’t be avoided, so use recycled paper and envelopes. Pens and pencils can also be made of recycled materials, and refillable pens and markers are preferable to disposable ones. Use biodegradable soaps and recycled paper or cloth towels in the bathroom and kitchen. Provide biodegradable cleaners for the custodial staff. Buy in bulk so that shipping and packaging waste are reduced, and reuse the shipping boxes. Recycling printer cartridges is often free, and recycled replacements are cheaper than new ones.

Redesign the Workspace

Greening the space in which you work has almost limitless possibilities. Start with good furniture, good lighting, and good air. Incandescent bulbs can be replaced with compact fluorescents and LED desk lamps that use miniscule amounts of energy. Not only is natural daylight a free source of lighting for the office, it has been proven to improve worker productivity and satisfaction. Workspace air quality is also crucial.

Get Others in on the Act

Share these tips with your colleagues. Arrange an office carpool or group bike commute. Ask the office manager to get fair trade coffee for the break room and make sure everyone has a small recycling bin so that recycling is just as easy as throwing paper away. Ask everyone to bring in a mug or glass from home and keep some handy for visitors so that you reduce or eliminate use of paper cups.

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