KeepGreenGoing

Many of our friends have asked for advice on how to create an eco-friendly office. No matter what career path you’re in or where you work, getting your office informed and on board with a green lifestyle can be a difficult task. Not everyone is a green lover like you! So here’s an easy list of green office tips to help get you started. Take a gander and be the office leader; don’t just start a trend… make an impact.

1. Cut Down on Office Transportation

What can I say? Ride your bike… Ride your bike… Ride your bike around your town! Driving 10% less, by walking, cycling, carpooling or taking public transit, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.2 - 0.8 tonnes per year. Acording to AAA, the cost for owning and operating an average size car is 52.2 cents per mile, when driven 15,000 miles per year. Carbon dioxide is the number one contributor to the greenhouse effect and cars produce around 30% of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions.

2. Cut the Paper

Is it possible to have a paperless office? It may not seem so when the typical worker uses almost 12000 sheets annually. Simply put; Do without paper when possible. Do you really need to print off that e-mail? What about using digital “sticky notes” on your computer? If you do have to print, can you print double-sided? And if you really need something to ponder when you wait for that slow ink-jet printer to to print, think about this: Every ton of recovered paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.

3. Let it Shine

That’s sunshine we’re talking about… not light bulbs. Overall, lighting represents 24% of all the energy consumed in the commercial building sector. So cut back and give sunshine a try. Or, consider daylight sensors and mechanical blinds, which automatically adjust according to natural light. Also, use Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent lights which use about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

4. Green the Office Kitchen

Rid your habit of buying bottled water. Americans throw out over 35 billion plastic water bottles every year. Invest the $5 and purchase a Nalgene - an easy step to take that has a big impact. If you’re worried about the quality of your water, use a water delivery service or purchase a filter. Also, stock the kitchen with reusable ceramic plates and mugs rather than styrofoam.

5. Watch the Paper

Each employee generates 1.5 pounds of paper waste per day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Most of that paper can be recycled or not used at all. There’s many ways to cut down on paper, like the ways listed in #2. However, if you must use paper, make sure to recycle it. This solution is a two-fold action. Not only will you help the environment, but also help your business’s bottom line. Here are some things to keep in mind about paper:

1. A single-sided 10-page letter costs $0.55 to mail; that same letter, copied onto both sides of the paper, uses only five sheets and $0.34 in postage.
2. A ton of 100 % recycled paper saves the equivalent of 4100 kWh of energy, 7000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air emission and three cubic yards of landfill space.
3. In the U.S., over 40% of municipal solid waste is paper - about 71.8 million tons each year.

Sources: earth911.org and LowImpactLiving.com