Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tips to make your office greener, save energy and dollars:



Today more than ever we need to invest our money wisely. The following tips can save your $$$ while being kinder to the environment.
Go Paperless- Try minimize printing as much as possible by storing files on an electronic medium such as your computer hard drive, CDs or DVDs. 

Buy Recycled Paper- If you must print, buy reams of recycled paper. These days they are quite acceptable. Print on both sides of paper.

Rechargeable Batteries- Keep used batteries out of landfill. Buy rechargeable batteries and have enough to swap when needed.

Smart Strip
Energy use: Place your electronics on a power strip. Turn the power strip off when electronics are not in use. If you have to have a server or fax machine on, use a "smart" power strip.
Use fluorescent or LED light bulbs. Today, you can find replacement bulbs for all existing lamps. LED light bulbs are a little more expensive but they have a longer lamp-life.

Instead of running the air conditioned, open windows if your outdoor air quality is acceptable. Ceiling fans also use less energy than air conditioners.

Energy Star rated office equipment- Compare energy ratings before you buy. The price tag may seem low at the time of purchase, but you could pay a lot more in energy costs.

Recycling bins: Label and place recycling bins near your work area so they are convenient to use.

E-waste: batteries, computers, printers, toner cartridges, etc used to end up in the landfill. Now there are better and safer ways to get rid of them. You can list them on www.freecycle.org, contact your communities e-waste recycling center, or check www.earth911.com to find a safe disposal/recycling center for them. Many office supply stores now take your empty cartridges. Place a box or bucket next to your desk to store empty cartridges temporarily till you are ready to take them to your recycling center.
 Reduce your vehicle use- Combine trips to lower your miles, save on gas, and time. Make a list of things you need to do and the location and see how they can best be combined in as few trips as possible.
Use earth-friendly cleaning products- When purchasing cleaning products, use all purpose cleaners that are better for the environment. Click here for tips on selcting green cleaning products. 

4 comments:

  1. I visit your blogs and read your content. Your content and blog both are very nice. Thanks for sharing it!!
    Recycled Paper Printing Services

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  2. thank you danielhirsch and thank you for conducting a green business. I'd like to invite you to our environmental awareness program on facebook. we discuss variety of issues and provide some simple tips. http://www.facebook.com/EmpoweringWorldChange

    Help spreading the word! Live Healthy, Live Happy!

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  3. Great tips! I will definitely buy for a power strip this weekend. Enjoyed reading your blog! More power!

    Haley
    ISO 14001 Training

    ReplyDelete
  4. thank you Haley- Saving energy a little at a time is good for all of us.

    ReplyDelete

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