Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about
the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our
offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources
at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the
powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly
(and often cost-effective) policies.
1. Be bright about light: Artificial lighting accounts for 44
percent of the electricity use in office buildings. Make it a habit
to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes
or more and utilize natural light when you can.Make it a policy to
buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least
two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or
motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not
needed.
2. Maximize computer efficiency: Computers in the business sector
unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.Make it a
habit to turn off your computer-and the power strip it's plugged
into-when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning
energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your
IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run
backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer
to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use
by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.
Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and
printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look
for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and
to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work,
and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations
that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get
a tax deduction.)
3. Print smarter: The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000
sheets of copy paper a year. Make it a habit to print on both sides
or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or
drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever
feasible.
Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage
of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a
lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp,
organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy
remanufactured ones. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured
toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic
out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."
4. Go paperless when possible: Make it a habit to think before you
print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive
unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to
be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.
Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials
online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to
update that way too.
5. Ramp up your recycling: Make it a habit to recycle everything
your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would
encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk
mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.
Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic
areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be
recycled.
6. Close the loop: Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and
furniture made from recycled materials.
7. Watch what (and how) you eat: Make it a habit to bring your own
mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.
Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and
glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as
much organic and local food as possible for parties and other
events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water
waste.
8. Rethink your travel: Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or
subway when feasible instead of a rental car when traveling on
business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer
hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.
Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other
technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee
travel.
9. Reconsider your commute: Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or
take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need
to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like
Zipcar and Flexcar instead of owning your own wheels.
Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that's also
good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take
alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks,
offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.
10. Create a healthy office environment: Make it a habit to use
nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants,
which absorb indoor pollution.
Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are
free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic
chemicals.
Many of us are way too busy to do our
share to help the environment - or at least, that's how it feels
much of the time. We'd like to join the fight against global
warming, but who has the time? Helping the environment isn't just
good for the earth... it's good for your pocketbook too. You can do
it in small ways, at home and when you drive, and those ways will
add up to major changes worldwide, and big changes that you'll see
in your budget. Continue reading for 10 tips on how to save money
saving the planet.
1. CFLs. Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light
blulbs (CFLs), which are slightly more expensive but will last much
longer and burn less energy when they're on. This is a small change
but it adds up to big savings over time.
2. Energy-efficient appliances. There are many new energy-efficient
water heaters, washers, dryers - any electrical appliance in your
house, in fact. This can save tons on your power bill. Other
alternatives: don't use hot water for everything, and dry your
clothes using a clothes line.
3. Buy used if possible. Before buying something new, ask friends or
relatives, look at garage sales or thrift shops, look on eBay or
other similar sites where used stuff is sold. You're helping a
product live longer, thus reducing the impact on the environment,
and at the same time getting it much cheaper (and sometimes just
like new).
4. Make your own coffee. If you buy coffee from a trendy coffee
shop, this can save you tons every year. At $4 a pop, Starbucks (or
similar) coffee can add up to nearly $1,500 a year if purchased once
a day. Twice a day, and you can double that figure. Making coffee at
home costs only cents, and if you buy Fair Trade coffee, you're
helping poor farmers and the environment. Buy in bulk to save more.
5. Eat in more. Instead of eating at fast food joints (which are
horrible damagers of the environment) or expensive sit-down
restaurants, save huge amounts of money by creating a simple menu,
buying the groceries, and cooking at home. You can create very easy
dinners in 15 minutes or less, and the cost will be a fraction of
what it costs to eat out. You can avoid the excessive packaging of
fast food (not to mention their ravaging of the rain forests) to
help the environment.
6. Ride a bike, walk, carpool. Driving contributes to global warming
and the depletion of our natural resources, not to mention
pollution. So the less you drive, the better. Even if you only
replace a few trips a week with a bike or walking or carpooling,
you're doing your part to help stop global warming and save on gas
money at the same time. Walk your kid to school, bike to the corner
store, carpool or commute by bike to work.
7. Gas-saving driving. If you must drive, at least ensure that
you're using less gas by doing so. Some common recommendations to do
so: ease up on the gas pedal and brake pedal, be sure your tires are
inflated and your engine is running smoothly, don't have your car on
idle for too long, and get a fuel-efficient car.
8. Less waste. The excessive packaging of most products today, and
the use of paper and plastic disposable products, is a huge
contributor to the destruction of the environment. Look for products
that use less packaging, or buy in bulk (or at co-ops where you
bring your own containers), and use real plates and silverware
instead of paper or plastic ones. Bring cloth grocery bags when you
go shopping instead of using paper or plastic.
9. Insulation. Be sure your house is properly insulated to save on
heating and cooling costs. Many people allow their house to lose a
ton of energy a year by neglecting this important step.
10. Push mower. If you've got a relatively flat yard, and you keep
your grass fairly short, today's motorless push mowers are easy to
use and consume zero gas. They're not the old fashioned mowers of
your grandpa's generation - they actually run very smoothly.
