How to Live Green at the Office

There a a number of simple changes you can make at the office to significantly reduce your impact on climate change. Furthermore, green living at the office can provide you with the opportunity to encourage your colleagues to do the same and thereby multiply the positive effects on the environment.

How you get (or don't get) to work is another important factor in helping to reduce climate change. See How to Live Green — Getting Around for tips on how to reduce the environmental impact of your commute.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in the Office
Buying Smart at the Office
Saving Energy in the Office

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in the Office

Most offices produce large amounts of waste every day. By cutting down on this waste not only will you be saving the energy required to produce more products, you will be reducing landfill and therefore reducing production of the greenhouse gas methane.

Think before you print: Before you hit the print button consider whether you really need a hard copy. Place non-urgent memos on notice boards rather than circulating (or use email). Produce on-line manuals instead of printed versions. This will also make them easier to update.
Conserve paper: Reuse envelopes for internal circulation. Use both sides of paper when photocopying or producing reports and turn scrap paper into notepads.

When you receive unwanted newsletters, magazines and junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle them. Notify suppliers immediately when employees leave so you don't receive mail for people who are no longer there.
Green your printing: Avoid colour printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible. Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes and drafts.
Green your meetings: Use a projector or white board to present information instead of handouts. Provide meeting attendees with electronic copies of meeting notes. They can then decide whether to print hard copies or not. Gather up any unwanted paper at the end of meetings and reuse or recycle.
Save on batteries: Invest in solar powered calculators rather than battery operated ones.
Use reuseable items rather than disposable: Purchase reusable cups, dishes, glasses, metal cutlery, propelling pencils and refillable pens.
Make recycling easy: Keep a separate bin under your desk for recycling and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Place large recycling bins anywhere that large amounts of paper are likely to be used including near printer, photocopiers and in the mail room.

Living Green by Buying Smart at the Office

Buy recycled or reconditioned: Choose office supplies and furniture with a recycled or reconditioned content. Buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content or consider switching to alternatives made from bamboo, hemp or organic cotton. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones.
Cut the excess: Avoid buying disposable products and over-packaged goods.
Clear the air: Use solvent-free correction fluids and paints. Avoid aerosols and products containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and brighten up your work area with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
Choose local products and materials to reduce energy involved in transporting goods.
Buy 'green' computers: Specify computers that are easy to upgrade and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for recyclers who have pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Consider donating old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, to charities.
Share items in occasional use like highlighters, staplers and hole punchers.
Switch to organic and Fair Trade coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.

Living Green by Saving Energy in the Office

Shed some light: Position desks and workstations to make best use of natural light. Reduce lighting levels in areas such as corridors where bright lighting is not required and use low energy lighting.
Switch off: Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for more than 15 minutes or leaving for the day. And turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day.

Consider other energy saving measures such as timers and sensors but don't forget a manual override for those who are working late!
Maximize computer efficiency: During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Don't use screen savers which unnecessarily waste energy.
Report leaky taps quickly, especially hot water taps. A leaking tap can waste 20 litres of water a day.
Be sensible with heating and cooling: Turn the thermostat down a bit in winter and up a bit in summer. Most people dress for the weather outside so you won't only be saving energy, you'll also be more comfortable. Only heat and cool work areas that are being used.