Fifteen Tips for a Greener Workplace
By Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca
Without reinventing the wheel, here are some simple things you can do to make your workplace greener:
- Recycle. If your workplace doesn’t have a formal recycling program, insist one is adopted. Bottles, cans, cardboard, and paper should never be found in landfills.
- Avoid printing and copying whenever possible. Always think – do I really need a hard copy of this? If you have to copy and print, use both sides of the paper.
- Use recycled products. From pens to paper to printer cartridges, you’d be surprised at the variety of products made from recyclable materials.
- Stay local. Buy office products from local dealers to reduce the impact of transportation.
- Lighten-up. Replace all light bulbs with low-energy ones. Also, install automatic shut-offs for lighting. Lighting a typical office overnight wastes enough energy to heat water for 1,000 cups of coffee. Saving the planet will also save your employer buckets of cash as 44% of the electricity used in office buildings is spent on lighting alone.
- Set computers to power down automatically after 15-20 minutes of idle time. A computer monitor left on overnight can waste enough electricity to laser print over 500 pages. Powering off computer cuts the machine’s energy use by 70%. Now multiply that by millions of PCs across the country.
- Outsource green. Use bicycle or hybrid car couriers, environmentally-friendly cleaners, and organic lawn-care companies.
- Plant trees on company property, if possible, but do not use pesticides.
- Install water-saving devices in washrooms. Did you know that toilets are the biggest water wasters in office buildings? Low-flow and retrofit toilets reduce water usage from 8 gallons per flush to a 1.6!
- Rethink your commute. Whether or not your employer develops incentives for carpooling, public transportation, or the purchase of a hybrid car, you can put together your own commuting programs. Start with a car-sharing one.
- Ban disposables. Get rid of disposable cups at the water cooler or plastic dishes for office lunches. Instead, have employees bring in their own cups, dishes, and silverware.
- Form a green workplace committee. Work with colleagues and management to get sustainable workplace practices in effect.
- Compost food waste. That's what those green bins are for!
- Stay temperate. Adjust your thermostat to 19 or 20 degrees Celsius. By turning the heat or air conditioning down by just one degree, you can reduce energy use by 10%. If possible, hire a consultant to weather-proof your office. It will help a lot on those energy bills.
- Go organic. Ditch the unhealthy vending machine sugary drinks and sweets, and introduce organic and fair-trade drinks and snacks into your workplace.
Read why Canadians Don't Want to Work for Polluters and get some Essential Resources for Greener Workplaces.