A little green goes a long way: Going green at the office

With global warming threatening on our planet, it is our job as Earthlings to start changing our ways.  It doesn’t matter how big or how small the action is, because little things make a whole lot of difference.  Here are some ways to transform your workplace into an eco-friendly environment:

Go digital

Do you really need five copies of the meeting agenda? Or do you need to reprint a document on a new piece of paper for every minute revision?  Since we’re living in the digital age, it’s time we make full use of electronic devices to go paperless.  Invest in online cloud storage to keep important documents or share them with your colleagues.  Discard printouts and simply send out presentations through email.  If you must print, you could buy post-consumer waste (PCW) paper, which is actually made from recycled paper.

Power down

As much as possible, try not to leave any electrical equipment such as computers, printers and scanners plugged after office hours.  Even if they are set on standby, they may still be using up electricity.  Turn off all computers when not in use and toggle the computer settings to powersaving mode.  This will significantly lower the electricity bill, which is good for conserving energy and company resources.

Image source: huffpost.com

Green transportation

Encourage your colleagues to consider more eco-friendly ways to travel to the office.  One way is to bike to work or carpool or best yet, walk (assuming it’s manageable).  These ways are not only good for the environmeny but for your physical health as well.

Redesign the office

If it’s within the budget, you can opt to redesign your office using refurbished office furniture or converting all lights to compact-fluorescents (CFL) or LEDs. This may be quite expensive but it will have significantly huge impact on company savings.

Image source: greenliving4live.com

Hello there! I’m Janique Goff and I’m a firm supporter of going green in business. Visit my blog for more notes on eco-friendly business endeavors and other related topics.