Being Green at Work

A greener workplace can result in a smaller ecological footprint, and more importantly, create a healthier and more productive working environment! Whether you’re the CEO or a new employee, you can make a big impact. Here are five tips to get your journey to green started.:

Power off. Enable energy savings on all equipment, especially your computer. It is estimated that people waste over $1 billion in electricity every year just in computer use! Unplug anything that still uses energy even when it’s turned off (cell phone chargers and laptops are two big culprits).
Make the healthy choice. Choose foods that are local, organic, and sustainable for meetings, lunches, and catered events. Bring your lunch in a reusable bag, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or have a “walking meeting”. These are proven to enhance energy and creativity.
Improve airflow. Add plants to your workspace; they filter the air and reduce stress. Get rid of toxic cleaners and personal products in your office, kitchen, and bathroom. Create a smoke-free environment, open the windows for fresh air, or take your break outdoors.
Stretch your resources. Set “double-sided” as the default setting on your printer and reuse documents as note paper when they are no longer needed. Open the blinds and use natural lighting when possible. Encourage going paperless and walk over to colleagues instead of using email or phone to communicate simple messages.
Go slow on the H2O. Use a water tank instead of bottled water to reduce waste of plastic containers. Even better, install a water purifier or buy a reusable purifier for the fridge, such as a Brita water filter. Don’t pour water down the drain—use it to water plants.

Tags: ecological impact, green at work, save energy