Most people can pat themselves on the back for going green at home, but why are we forgetting these new green habits so quickly when we arrive at work? In a recent survey by a government advisory body known as Envirowise, a third of office workers did nothing to be green at work. Many of the same ideas that work at home will work at the office. The following are some easy things to do at work to make a green impact!
1) For starters, even though it is not your electricity bill wasting energy costs us all in the end. Leaving your computer on 24/7 costs around $50 a year. Switch it off when your not working and on weekends and that figure drops to $14. That’s enough to make 21,000 cups of coffee!
2)Drinking coffee or tea at the office in styrofoam cups is definately not green! Three billion polystyrene cups a year are dispensed by vending machines. So to be GREEN take a mug/cup to work, and encourage your workmates to do the same thing. If your machine doesn’t have a ‘no cup’ option, recycle the plastic ones or opt to get a new machine.
3) Eating with plastic utensils is another waste created at the office. When eating on the go say “NO” to plastic utensils that restaurant staff slip into your to-go-bag, or at the least, wash them and continue to reuse them. You might start bringing a knife, fork and spoon from home.
4) Only 50% of offices choose to recycle the printer’s used toner cartridges. These can contain up to 135 components, many of which can be reconditioned to come to life again as a ‘new’ toner cartridge. There are many companies you could contact to set up a recycling program.
5) Educate your employer on how much money they could save by reducing their use of their resources, and you’re sure to get their support. Not to mention great ideas given to management can really help you climb the corporate ladder.
6) Push to eliminate the use of bottled water and introduce filtered water bottles; the affordable, convenient alternative to bottled water. No longer should you see a bottle of water sitting on your co-worker’s desks. Tell them all about water filter bottles and tell them how much money it will save them and how much it will save our planet.
7) Find out where your nearest recycling point is, and take your own plastic and glass bottles and cans. Or if your workplace is big enough, get a local company to make a collection.
Now you have all the information you need to get started going green at the office! No more excuses! Make a positive impact!