Whether you’re an independent entrepreneur or a cubicle-dweller dreaming of the day you’ll strike out your own, you can’t escape the reality that the work routine can be energy and resource intensive. Most people feel that their efforts to practice green living habits at home seem redundant because of this, but it’s possible to keep your work life as environmentally friendly as possible.
If you work from a home office, an obvious step to keeping operations green is by reducing the amount of energy consumed and the carbon emissions that result from this usage. Using compact fluorescent bulbs has become a routine economic consideration.
Environmentally friendly office tips also advise printing only when necessary to reduce the amount of paper used. If you haven’t already implemented it, online document storage is secure, and organization of soft copies is actually easier than that of hard copies. It also makes it easier to exchange information with colleagues, and it reduces the need for intra-office walkabouts.
Where ink is concerned, refill packs are a much more cost-effective alternative to buying brand-new replacement cartridges or having them refilled by a professional. Of course, refilling cartridges keeps them out of the landfill as well.
One less visible aspect of printing is the material used to bind printed pages. Staples aren’t reusable, which is a waste considering the resources that go into their manufacture. An alternative is binder clips, which are reusable and go a long way toward reducing expenses related to office supplies.
Power management should be a concern if you’re pursuing a greener office. A good practice is to put your monitor to sleep if you’re going to take a break longer than 20 minutes, and shut it down entirely if you’ll be away from your workstation for 2 hours or more.
Some people cite the long startup time as a reason for leaving everything on, but if that is the case, you might need to carry out some housekeeping on the computer itself. It’s also a good idea to do away with screensavers because you won’t be there to enjoy the cool slideshow, and it keeps your monitor on, therefore, consuming excess energy.
Cooling, heating, and lighting expenses are substantial energy considerations both in the home and in the office, more so when you consider how long you sit in an office. Where possible, work in natural light to reduce the amount of electricity used for illumination. If heat or cold are issues, it would help to keep curtains or blinds closed to keep heat in or out as needed.
