Remember the days when green was just a color and notebooks were 3-ring binders? Today, “green” isn’t just a color — it means “earth-friendly” — and “notebooks” are among the most energy efficient computers available. Whether you run a home office or a 1,000-employee company, here are some tips to “green” your office.
Table of Contents
Green Your PC
- Always turn off your monitor and computer when not in use.
- If you need a new computer, consider a notebook or one of the new breed of energy-efficient desktops. Several PCs on the market meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Energy Star program, which requires all federal PC procurements to use no more than 30 watts of power when inactive (notebooks already do this to conserve battery power).
- Don’t throw away your old computer — recycle the parts, give it away, trade it in at a used computer store toward the purchase of a new one, donate it to a school, church, or charity.
- To increase your own ecological awareness and network with others about issues of concern to you, subscribe to such online services as Econet, Bitnet, CompuServe, America Online, and the WELL. For more information, see Don Rittner’s book Ecolinking (Peachpit Press).
- For more information on computers, read Steve Anzovin’s The Green PC: Making Choices that Make a Difference (McGraw-Hill). Also, be sure to read the American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy’s Guide to Energy-Efficient Office Equipment to learn more about green alternatives.
Office Supplies
- Try environmentally friendly pencils, such as those made from recycled paper, available from Earth Share (800-875-3863). Alternatives for correction fluid, pens, and other supplies are found in many environmental product guides as well as In Business: The Magazine for Environmental Entrepreneuring (Emmaus, PA).
- Use recycled fiber padded envelopes, popcorn, and shredded newspaper for shipping. Some vendors will take back bubble wrap or whatever packing materials that you cannot use. Ask them.
- Choose office furniture that is nontoxic and that is used or made from sustainably harvested wood or other renewable resources.
- Use mugs rather than styrofoam cups.
Paper: What’s Hot, What’s Not
- Switch to using the “greenest” paper available. Made of 100% post-consumer waste, recycled, never-bleached paper, it is attractive enough for professional use and is becoming increasingly available.
- Try plain paper fax machines rather than those that rely on non-recyclable, chemically treated thermal paper.
- Use electronic mail rather than paper whenever possible. “E-Mail” is faster, cheaper, and less resource intensive than overnight mail.
- Keep a scrap box for all of your junk mail/papers with one blank side. You’ll never need to buy scratch paper again.
- Use both sides of paper before you recycle it, and be sure that your photocopying is two-sided when possible.
Recycle — Everything
- Recycle everything possible. Toner cartridges, aluminum, glass, all types of paper, cardboard, telephone books, even food. Some companies make compost from their lunch scraps and use it for their plants.
The Safe Office
- Beware of electro-magnetic fields (EMFs) and radiation coming from computers, cellular phones, and other equipment. The EPA has reported on the dangers of EMFs, which are thought to emit fields high enough to cause cancer for those within very close proximity to machines and appliances.
- Avoid materials that are highly toxic, heavily packaged, not recycled, or not recyclable. Cleansers and other everyday materials (insulation, paints, plastics, glues, carpets, fabrics) often contain dangerous chemicals. Alternatives to harsh chemical cleansers (carpet, window, wall, etc.) may be found in environmental directories such as Enviro Clean: Sourcebook of Environmentally Responsible Cleaning Products (800-466-1425) or in many natural food stores.
Lighting
- Retro-fit lights with fixtures using much less energy. Generally, energy-efficient lighting upgrades increase lighting quality and yield 20% to 30% annual rates of return.
- Turn off lights whenever you leave the room. According to the EPA’s Green Lights Program, the common belief that turning a light off and on wastes energy is a myth.
Transportation
- Walk, bike, or take public transportation whenever possible. If you need to take a taxi, look for an innovative firm such as Clean Air Cab Company, a Washington D.C.-based business whose cabs run on natural gas.
