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Want to feel like your doing your part for the environment? I’m not an environmental activist by any means, but I am one of those people who would just like to do my part to help keep my little spot of the world a little cleaner and know that I’m following my three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) rule because it can make a difference.
The best part is, there are just a few simple steps to extend this great act of Greenery to your work place!
Start at your desk. If you use a computer, make sure you turn your monitor off at night when you leave. Even better, turn your computer completely off as well because, even in stand-by mode, you’re still chugging power (even if it’s at a reduced rate). Try separating your desk-side trash into two bins, one for recyclables and one for everything else. Remember, all of those bottled waters that we’re drinking (eight cups a day!) can be recycled, as well as all the printer paper we go through. Another really simple step to help reduce trash is to bring your own coffee cup to work. Why waste those Styrofoam coffee cups in the break room to just create more trash that will take years to break down when you could use a really cute coffee cup from home?
Look around your office. Can you turn the thermostat down a few degrees? Turn out the lights when you leave? Maybe bring in a few plants? You can use the old coffee grounds from the coffee machine to give your plant some good mulch/food, and plants are a great way to make that boring office/cube a little more homelike.
Think bigger! Talk to your purchasing department about buying recycled paper for general printing purposes. Organize your recycling efforts into a departmental program or even more. Take a minute to look around your office and see if you can find things to improve (break room lights left on all day, along with the TV? Turn them off!).
There are everyday reductions we can make if we just stop and think about what our daily actions include. And, even if it’s just the smallest step you can take, it’s still making a difference, one action at a time.
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another thing you can do is adjust your power settings on your computer to stop the hard disks after a shorter period of idle time and turn off the monitor. Then when you are in a meeting or away for say, 15minutes (or 30 whatever you set it to) you go into a mode that reduces power by 60%!!! huge power savings :) plus all you have to do to 'recover' is wiggle your mouse or press a key on the keyboard.
oh! and if you are looking into outside the box ways - ask your office to switch to 'green' handsoaps in the kitchens and bathrooms ;)
speaking of, i will get off my soapbox now - thanks for the article!!!