Top 30 Ways to Green Your Office Space
The Basics - Think Green
#1 Location. Location. Location!
Choose office locations that are easily accessible by public transportation. Look for office buildings that will have good indoor air quality. New spaces that use low-VOC paints and carpets will be more comfortable for employees with chemical sensitivity, and better thinking spaces for all.
#2 Take Your Office Footprint!
Find out what kind of effect you are having on the environment. Use The Office Footprint Calculator to highlight opportunities for office/workplace Greening. Don’t be scared, even if you uncover huge inefficiencies that you might have missed, it’s never too late to make a positive change and strive to achieve Zero Waste Principles.
#3 Build a Green Team.
Create a committee to take on the responsibility of organizing and monitoring your Green office practices. Schedule regular meetings to track success.
#4 Green From the Ground Up.
Incorporate your values into your company’s founding documents.
#5 Make a Green Checklist.
Find ways to translate your mission into project-specific actions. For example, striving to achieve Zero Waste includes implementing a recycling and composting system.
#6 Clean Green.
Use environmentally friendly cleaning products. If you have a traditional cleaning service, provide them with an array of green cleaning tools and supplies to use when they come to your office.
#7 Show Your True Colors—Get Green Certified.
Seek third-party environmental certifications through the EPA or through private business networks. These certifications will improve your access to business networks while challenging your company to take steps toward more environmentally and socially responsible practices.
The Buzz - Energy Tips
Here are a few tips for reducing your energy consumption (and your energy spending) in the workplace.
#8 Keep It Natural.
Turn off lights when you leave a room. Take advantage of natural light in your workspace. Turn off lights at the end of the day.
#9 Shut It Down.
Shut off all monitors or put computers into energy saving modes to save energy while your computer is not in use.
#10 Lighten Things Up.
Use CFLs and fluorescents instead of incandescent bulbs.
#11 Sleep Is good.
Put all copiers and printers into sleep mode after a short period of inactivity.
#12 Power Stripping.
Use central power strips to turn off individual work stations each night.
#13 Get Cozy.
During the winter, all windows should be shut tightly and all blinds should be closed at night.
#14 Go Mobile.
Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.
Hot Off the Press - Printing Tips
Here are a few tips on how to reduce your use of paper and print resources in the workplace.
#15 Share.
Does everyone in the room need a copy? They might. Or they might not. For presentations, decide if sharing is an option.
#16 Double Up.
Reduce number of pages printed by printing on both sides or printing multiple pages to one page.
#17 No Brainer.
Print on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
#18 Draft First.
You can usually change the printer settings to print on “Draft” or “Fast” mode, which uses less ink. Use this mode for all jobs that do not need to be “Final.”
#19 Keep it Black & White.
If you are printing draft versions of a color document, consider printing only in black and white to save on color ink.
#20 Go Both Ways.
Print and copy on both sides of a piece of paper whenever possible. Place a sign reminding employees to do so.
#21 Be a User.
Reuse paper that has only been printed on one side and keep a scrap paper box beside each printer or copier.
#22 Again and Again and Again.
Promote the use and reuse of inter-office envelopes whenever possible.
#23 Sharing is Caring.
Have a designated area for sharing office supplies that can be reused (file folders, binders, paper clips, pens).
#24 Less is More.
Contact magazine and new distributors to receive fewer publications to the office.
On the Go - Transportation Tips
Transportation is one of the top sources of carbon emissions. Here are a few ways to take the burden off your car and take the stress out of commuting.
#25 Use Your Legs.
If you don’t have a long commute, try something from the good ole days and get your exercise while you’re at it: walk, scoot, rollerblade, skateboard, ride your bike, or run (preferably only if there’s an office shower).
#26 Make it Public.
If it’s available to you, take public transportation. It’s a good time to relax on the way in to work and unwind on the way home. Encourage the management to implement a commuter benefit program.
#27 Meeting in the Backyard?
Work from home when you can. There’s nothing like telecommuting into a conference call from the comfort of the garden. Oh yeah, and it saves energy and emissions, too.
#28 Avoid the Rush.
Head in a little earlier to avoid the rush, boredom, stress, and frustration of normal commuting hours.
#29 Hybridize.
When purchasing a new vehicle, consider a hybrid. Some states even offer tax credits as well as carpool lane benefits for purchasing a hybrid car. And everybody loves the carpool lane.