Now that many companies and organizations have returned to in-person work, it’s time to revisit your “office environmentalism” practices. Of course, for all of you permanent remote workers out there, this applies to you as well!
- Use 100% recycled copy paper. According to Green America, this will save 100% of the trees, 31% of the energy, 53% of the water, and 39% solid waste involved in making paper. This simple choice helps reduce CO2 emissions AND protect forests, so a double win!
- Only print if necessary, and if you do print double-sided. Think twice before you print and ask yourself if you can email or post it instead. If you do need to print, be sure to always print double-sided and immediately reduce your paper consumption in half. Set up your computer and copier to always print double-sided as a default so you don’t even need to think about it.
- Recycle or refill your ink cartridges. Earth911 says that out of 500 million ink cartridges sold each year, only 30% of them get recycled or refilled, resulting in 70% of them in landfills. Costco and Walgreens will refill ink cartridges in their photo department, but if you prefer to recycle check out Earth911’s recycling locator to help.
- Turn off the copier at night and unplug electronics. Did you know that even standby power uses energy? There are two types of standby power: on-call power (think printers or devices with constant digital display) and vampire power (think devices with AC adapters). A lot of newer appliances have improved and reduced the problem of standby power, but it’s always good to reassess and challenge yourself to make some additional changes.
- Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Be a good guest and act as you (hopefully) do at home—turn off the lights when you leave the room. It reduces CO2 emissions and saves your employer money.
- Bring a desk plant. Plants not only add a touch of nature to the office, but indoor plants improve air quality. Check out HGTV’s list of the HGTV’s 20 Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air to find one that you like.
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