Whether you work in a large corporation or a home office, there are things you can do every day to make a difference for the environment.
Buy Earth-Friendly Paper
Buy recycled paper products and paper products with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) seal. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the FSC label means that wood products come from well-managed, independently certified forests.
Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Compact fluorescent bulbs are so much more energy efficient that incandescent bulbs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.”
Inflate Tires in Company Vehicles
Check car tires once a month and inflate them to their proper specification (look for a sticker on the driver’s side door, in the glove box or in your car manual). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "every pound per square inch of tire underinflation wastes 4 million gallons of gas daily in the U.S."
Turn Off Equipment on the Weekends and Holidays
Even when you’re not using them, office equipment–faxes, computers, printers—use electricity. The EPA recommends turning on “the power management features on your computer and monitor, unplug laptop power cords when not in use and turn off equipment and lights at the end of the day.” Plug all your equipment into a single power strip and flip it off at the end of the day.
Recycle Paper
You can recycle paper in two ways—put it in the recycling bin and re-use scrap paper.
Print and copy on both sides of office paper. Use partially printed sheets or one-sided prints as scrap paper.
Recycle Ink Jet and Toner Printer Cartridges
Many companies will pay you to send them your empty ink jet cartridges. Use it as a fundraiser for a non-profit organization or just enjoy the revenue for your business.
Buy ENERGY STAR Electronics and Appliances
When you need to replace an appliance or piece of equipment in the office – from the printer to the coffee maker – look for the ENERGY STAR logo.
The EPA says that “if every home office product purchased in the U.S. this year were ENERGY STAR qualified, Americans would save $200 million in annual energy costs while preventing almost 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gases – equivalent to the emissions of 250,000 cars.”
These are just a few ideas to help your business become more environmentally friendly. Many of them even save money--making environmental stewardship good for your bottom line as well as good for the planet.
Joanna Bartlett-Gustina - I am a freelance commercial and article writer with a passion for the earth. WIth a decade of experience in all facets of writing and ...
