Being “Green” is more than a buzzword here at Mainpine: it’s a way of doing business, and it’s the way we do business. Here are some simple Green Office Tips to get you started on a path to sustainable practices at your business.
10 Green Office Tips
- Look into furniture/cubicles that have been tested for toxic emissions. Formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes and others are used in the manufacture of office furniture and these chemicals can contribute to indoor air pollution.
- Purchase recycled paper products and print on both sides of copier paper when possible.
- Recycle paper by replacing a few trashcans with recycling bins. Be sure to place recycle bins near your colleagues’ workstations, the printer and the copier.
- Use old marketing materials or expired coupons as scratch paper and re-use envelopes and other internal communication items for use in the office. Simply black out the files or re-label them.
- Go paperless! Instead of printing out e-mail messages, file them in Outlook or another e-mail system. File the attachments on your hard drive or on a shared drive. Convert an e-mailed invoice to a PDF. Print documents only if absolutely necessary.
- Speak with your employer about purchasing recycled toner cartridges, or a used printer or computer.
- If you must buy new, look for printers, computers, and scanners that are Energy Star-certified. An Energy Star computer, for example, can be 50 percent more efficient than your standard unit.
- Put your computer into sleep mode to save energy when not in use.
- Replace any incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs are more expensive, but they last as much as 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Over the long run, this will be better for the budget.
- Turn off the lights in unused offices and when going home at night. Unplug the coffee machine and microwave. Even appliances turned "off" use juice from the electric grid.