A “Green Office” Will Improve Your Bottom Line

Making your office more eco-friendlier and energy-efficient will not only feel good and right but also will be beneficial and cost-reductive for your business. Also, working in a clean and healthy environment is one of the most attractive hiring benefits. Your employees will enjoy and appreciate working in such a great workplace, which would easily lead to their productivity increase.

Where to even begin to establish a “Green Workplace”?

1. Light efficiently and wisely

Almost half of your energy use in the office consists of artificial lighting. That’s an alarming number that you should be focusing on.  What you might consider doing?

• Purchase energy-saving light bulbs and fixtures (one of the advantages - they will help you save money in the long run),
• Install motion sensors,
• Use small signs above the light switch to remind people to turn the lights off when leaving a room (as much as trivial it sounds, it will eliminate using lights when nobody is in the room). Many people are not sure if they should leave lights on/off so you are giving them a little hint.

2. Switch off / unplug your electronic devices at the end of the day

• Check all computers/monitors and set them to their most energy-efficient settings (e.g., monitor set to shut off after 15 minutes of no use, system standby, or sleep after 30 minutes or less). Be aware that screen savers don’t save energy
• To make it easier and more convenient - use a power strip as a central turn-off point to reduce the number of switching off required electronics

3. No printers – Go Digital

There is so much paper waste every day in most workplaces. It always makes me think of our beautiful trees, or the times when the paper was so expensive and rare that you had to really use it sensibly. Think twice before you print anything – do I really need to make a copy or print this?

• Use electronic communication instead of regular mail/letters,
• Scan and file on your computer,
• Use your electronics for the meeting or presentations,
• Set up an online document management system.

If you must use a printer, please follow these guidelines:

• Use only 100% recycled content, chlorine-free paper products,
• Try not to print in color,
• Use a printer that enables double-sided copying (you can also print several pages on one sheet),
• Recycle ink and toner cartridges,
• Buy safe energy, a multifunction device - a combination of printer/scanner/copier in one,
• Implement secure printing to hold print jobs at the device until a user enters a PIN to claim them and set up a time-out feature for deleting unclaimed jobs.

4. Other paper products in general

• Get your check directly deposited - No paper checks,
• Have an electrical hands dryer installed in your bathrooms - No paper towels.

5. Limit Travel and Commute

• Invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel,
• Have a shower area set up in the office for those who either bike, run or walk to the office,
• Encourage/Support working from home,
• Arrange for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by financial help towards commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.

6. Healthy and Clean Air Flow

Switch to non-toxic cleaning products - use green cleaning products,

• Have many life plants arrangements in the office,
• Use Energy Star rated programmable thermostats to adjust heating and cooling in the building,
• Keep windows clear of obstructions, and clean vents/filters regularly to allow the free flow of air,
• Don’t smoke in or near the office,
• Use an air purifier,
• Try to avoid using perfumes.

7.  Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

• Place recycle bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and post clear recycling guidelines above each bin to help your co-workers recycle correctly (• Plastic bags • Cans and Bottles • Paper products • Cardboard • Ink cartridges),
• Shred old paper to use as packing material,
• Save and reuse old boxes.

8.  “Above and Beyond” Effort

• Buy and use eco-friendly office supplies, products, paint, carpets, and furniture,
• Stock Reusable Pens instead of disposable ones,
• Keep a lock on a supply cabinet (employees won't be as wasteful of supplies as they may otherwise be; assign one or two people responsible for keeping tabs),
• Use regular cups instead of disposable cups at the water cooler,
• When ordering lunch for an office meeting – Go organic. Choose vegetarian or vegan, no meat. The same goes for organic coffee and teas too,
• Provide filtered drinking water,
• Have a compost container for all the lunch leftovers available with guidelines,
• Arrange kitchen equipment for employees to have their lunch in the office, instead of driving every day to nearby restaurants,
• Establish a business casual policy for the office. Not wearing suits means much less dry cleaning,
• Most offices could raise the temperature a few degrees. In fact, look at how many people in the office (usually women) keep warm and extra clothing at their desks or use personal heaters (another reason for business casual for the ones wearing suits),
• Buy low-flush models toilets or ones with a half-flush option.

Always remember these "Five Rs" wherever you are:  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink, Repair

Do not act and live on this planet, like you have another one to go!!! START TODAY and do your part. Every single one of us, no exceptions, can help Mother Earth to flourish.