10 Easy Steps to Going Green at Work

One way to boost business is by showing your local community that you care. When you go green, you are not only helping the environment, but you also save space, time, and energy. In order to cut down on air pollution, consuming less energy results in less coal being used to fuel power plants, as well as less demand, more supply, and cheaper prices in the end. Recycling lowers the amount of trash going to landfills and brings down the cost of goods that would normally use more raw materials if recycled options weren’t available. And overall, going green can give everyone in your business a sense of pride of having done something, however small, to help out the world. Even the little things count, because if everyone does something little, at the end of the day a major accomplishment has been achieved.

Of course, if you don’t actually own the business, it may be trickier getting new initiatives set in place. But for the things you do have control over, every little thing counts.

On the larger scale of things, switching to more energy efficient lights, typically CFLs, can not only reduce your energy bill, but also the cost of purchasing new bulbs. They last longer and have a lower actual wattage than incandescent lamps, while still retaining the same level of brightness. Be prepared for a color shift, however, as CFLs are generally in the range of daylight lighting rather than the yellow, warm lighting of incandescents. Motion sensors are another way to reduce the cost of energy when it comes to lighting. When a section of the building, be it a cubicle, hallway, or restroom, is unoccupied, motion sensors leave the lighting off unless someone present is detected.

However, if you can’t actually change out the light bulbs or install a motion sensor strip, you can still make sure your computer gets turned off when not in use. If you have a personal desk lamp in an individual office room, you can use that instead of the overhead light so that you can save energy. Who knows? By example, you may be able to convince other coworkers to do the same.

If you have your own individual printer or if you are in charge of the printers of your workplace, look for ones that allow you to print on both sides of the paper. If they are automatically able to print double-sided, this can save both time and money spent on paper and ink. Also look for printers that use environmentally friendly ink, and recycle your ink cartridges. Some businesses will pay you for your cartridges, so consider this before throwing out the cartridge.

Don’t just recycle ink cartridges. Plastic, aluminum, and paper are in predominant need of being recycled. Set up smaller, separate bins in your office space to have for easy recycling, or talk to the management about having recycling bins placed in easy reach. You may want to offer to take turns taking the recyclables to the recycling center, or finding a place willing to pick them up from you. Beyond that, you can cut down the amount of recyclables. Get a sturdy water bottle to cut down on plastic containers and save money instead of buying expensive bottled water.  When it comes to paper items coming in at home, ask to have your bank statements and bills online, and search for companies that help get your name off of pesky junk mail lists. Only print off important e-mails, and back up your Word document files to CD or DVD rather than printing out huge stacks of paper. Not only does this save paper, it also saves space. Scan other important documents, then recycle the paper (shredding if needed). Use online forums and private web sites to transfer files and make it easy for other coworkers to review your work.

There are many ways to go green at work, so consider these ten steps:

1. Use energy-efficient lights.

2. Turn off unnecessary electric appliances when not in use. Unplugging them will save even more energy.

3. Take personal steps to start with, then show coworkers and management how they have helped with efficiency and the environment.

4. Make it easy to recycle. Offer to take out the recyclables, or put up separate bins in your office.

5. Recycle ink cartridges. Some businesses pay money or store credit for these.

6. Look for environmentally friendly printers. Double-sided printing is a major plus.

7. Save Word files to CDs and scan in other papers. This saves your paper money and office space.

8. Use fewer individually wrapped products. Say no to bottled water and hello to filtered water in a sturdy bottle.

9. Have bank statements posted online. Get off of junk mail lists.

10. Make documents easy for coworkers to see via private online web sites; this saves paper and time searching through stacks of documents.