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Creating
A Green Office in NY & NJ |
Most of us spend more time in our offices than in our homes, so
if you’re at all interested in living in a more ecologically
aware manner, you need to apply the green lessons you’ve
learned to both your domestic and professional spaces.
Here are some tips for making sure your office is healthy for you
and for the environment.
1. Recycle
This seems simple and yet so many people neglect it. However, the
first and most basic step is to make sure your office has an easy
and sanitary recycling system in place. Make sure to recycle plastic,
glass and paper and to put al materials in clear plastic bags.
Separate, clearly labeled bins placed in or near the office kitchen
are essential. The key is to make it so easy for office employees
to recycle that there’s no reason for them not to.
2. Reuse Inter-office Paper
If you can, resuse paper rather than throwing it out. Use previous
drafts of business letters and reports for scrap paper; cutting
them into smaller sizes will make stacks of memo sheets. The key
is to get the most use out of the paper before recycling it, so
if you make an effort to use both sides of any given sheet for
inter-office use, you’ll dramatically cut your paper use!
Alternatively, use recycled paper for in-office drafts and reserve
nicer paper for outgoing letters and reports.
3. Buy Recycled Paper
Buy recycled paper products whenever you can. That means toilet
paper, napkins, paper towels and printer paper. Oftentimes these
products are actually cheaper, so you may be saving your bottom
line as well as the environment.
4. Be Aware
It’s important to use environmentally-friendly cleaning fluids,
hand soap, and dish soap. These products aren’t just healthier
for the environment but they’re healthier for you and your
fellow employees as well.
5. Be Mindful
Don’t use paper, plastic or Styrofoam cups. Keep plenty of
mugs on hand for coffee and tea throughout the day. Encourage employees
to bring mugs from home, or provide some with your company’s
logo.
6. Use Washable Silverware
Don’t use plastic knives and forks. Keep regular silverware on hand so
employees can use those instead. (Of course you’ll also have to make sure
there’s a place for people to clean them afterwards.)
7. Recycle printer and postage machine toners.
8. Energy Efficieny
Use compact florescent light bulbs. They may cost a little more initially, but
over the long term you’ll save more in energy costs. Also encourage employees
to turn off and unplug power strips, computers, printers, postage machines, faxes,
scanners and lights before leaving in the evening. Plugged-in machines drain
small amounts of energy throughout the night, costing you more money over the
long haul and needlessly wasting resources.
9. Reuse Plastic Bags
Encourage everyone in the office to reuse plastic bags like the ones that your
lunchtime delivery comes in. Keep a bin in the kitchen to store bags so everyone
can have access when they need to use one.
10. Mass Transportation
Encourage employees to take the subway, bus, or carpool depending on if they
live in a large city or the suburbs. Carpools are also a great way for workers
to get to know each other outside of the office.
11. Word Of Mouth
Encourage office discussions about ways to make the office more environmentally-friendly.
These informal brainstorming sessions are a great way for everyone to feel like
they’re an active participant in greening the office and they may even
encourage employees to try some of these techniques at home.
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