What Can We Do at Work?

Every office is can implement go green ideas that help the environment and save money. The key is making quick and easy changes. Below are some ideas for the office that every company should use!

Power Down - Make sure that everyone who is away from a computer for more than two hours shuts down completely. The surge of energy needed to power up is still way less energy than keeping the computer running for long periods of time.
Commit to a Reusable Coffee Cup - Saving five cups and lids over the course of a week amounts to nearly 300 during the year. Multiply that times the number of people who work just in your office, and it quickly adds up. Give everyone in the office a company-branded mug on Earth Day to reinforce the message.
Add More Recycling Bins - Studies show sizable increases in recycling participation with more bins that are easily accessible. Send a note to co-workers to make sure they know where the bins are located.
Host a Drive to Collect E-waste - It’s estimated that only 12.5 percent of e-waste (tech hardware like old computers) is being recycled today, and that e-waste represents more than 70 percent of the toxic waste in landfills. Get your entire office park or building involved for good measure.
Use a Recyclable Water Bottle - The U.S. alone consumes more than 50 billion plastic water bottles annually. Get rid of plastic cups around the office water cooler. Hand out company-branded water bottles if you want to help the cause even more.
Plan a Telecommute Day - Go outside the office norm and do a work-from-home day in honor of Earth Day. You’ll save lots of energy in the process.
Arrange an Office-wide Carpool Day - You can start with a single day devoted to Earth Day, which could, in turn, encourage employees to try it more often.
Use Less Paper - Adopt a double-sided printing policy for all office correspondence.
Try to Be Paper Free for the Day - Ask employees to go a day (or even a week) without printing anything out. (Make exceptions for anything truly necessary but try to limit it.) This will hopefully give workers pause before they hit the “print” button next time.
Raise Money for a Local Environmental Group - Pick a worthy group in the community that empowers earth-friendly practices such as a nature conservancy or environmental action organization. The company can match employee donations.