‘Green’ Has a Place at Work, Too

So many people are diligent in their environmental efforts at home. They switch out energy-draining light bulbs for CFLs. Recycling bins are lined up to catch bottles, cans and paper. Some may even have installed solar panels on the roof or hydronic heating pipes under the flooring. But these same people may not carry their green efforts over to the office. Some, frankly, may not have been asked to. Endless printouts on the copy machine, paper cups piling up next to the water cooler, and computers blazing 24 hours a day — this is the reality in many offices around the country. The same people who recycle bits of aluminum foil at home may not think twice about tossing a soda can into the office trash pail. According to research, heating, cooling and powering office space is responsible for almost 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. and contributes to more than 70 percent of total electricity usage. Computers may burn $1 million annually — and often at times when they’re not producing any work. Today’s businesses impact the environment greatly. Converting to a green way of thinking at work can offset some of the negative environmental factors of doing business. Here are six ways to go green at work. 1. Set up … and label … recycling bins: Just as lightning will inherently seek the easiest path to the ground, it is human nature to seek the easiest end to a task. Without recycling bins placed conveniently around the office, recyclable items will end up in the trash instead. Label the bins so that individuals know exactly what to toss in each. 2. Invest in reuable items: How many foam, paper or plastic cups does the office go through in a week? Stop purchasing disposable items and stock the office kitchen with reusable mugs, silverware and plastic or glassware. Naturally, this means that employees will be responsible for washing their used items. If they seem hesitant, company policy could be that all employees are responsible for bringing in their own reusable food serviceware. 3. Open up the windows when possible: Today’s offices are generally hermetically sealed dwellings, cooled in the summer by forced air and similarly warmed in the winter. On nice days, open the windows and let Mother Nature create a comfortable environment. The fresh air also may perk up employees and lead to better productivity. 4. Use lights sparingly: In rooms where there is plenty of natural light, leave off overhead lights and task lighting that is simply wasting tons of electricity. 5. Use energy savers on computers: Make sure computers are set up to power down during periods of inactivity. Instruct employees to turn off their machines upon leaving for the night. You may also want to consider using laptop computers, which generally require less power to operate than desktop models. 6. Reuse office paper: Instead of trashing reams of used paper, recycle it for other uses. The empty flip-side of paper can be used for notes and other correspondence. Encourage PDF creation and e-mail whenever possible to cut down on the amount of paper used.