Environmentalists began the ‘green’ movement way back in the 1970s. Unfortunately, the world’s population did not universally embrace the going green philosophy at that time. However, most of the human population has adopted the mantra of eco-friendly living.
Most people transfer their eco-friendly actions from their personal homes to their workplaces as well. It’s ironic that a planet-saving philosophy was once ignored, but now permeates most humans’ daily lives, often without conscious effort. Eco-friendly activities are almost automatic with many people.
It is pleasantly curious that this amazing change has evolved. Was it fueled by the worldwide concern over global warming? Unclear. Dissenters correctly point out that global warming occurs as regularly as global ice ages on our planet, regardless of human presence.
The question: “How can I make my office eco-friendly?” Here are some simple to implement suggestions to accomplish this goal.
1. Outfit your office with gently used or recycled office furniture
Smart business shoppers are able to locate some incredible savings on high-quality used desks, credenzas, and bookcases that look like new. No more trees or forests need be razed to create new quality office furniture.
Business persons also can opt for high-quality recycled office furniture to create ambiance and panache in their office environment. Whether you have a cubicle or a large corner office, recycled office furniture looks pleasing and it’s as durable as other quality, new office furniture. For example, since there’s a huge turnover within the trading and hedge fund niche, used trading furniture is fairly common.
2. Don’t print stuff if you don’t need hard copy
Breaking news: It’s a digital world! You already realized this, didn’t you? You can even send faxes from your desktop, laptop, or smartphone, so your need for printed hard copy is minimal.
Only print if you need a permanent record on paper. You will find that you’re killing trees at least by 50 percent, if not more. Just be sure to back up your files to the cloud or offsite server.
3. Take a new route or car pool to work to minimize fuel usage
This is a simple way to go green. You can avoid some work stress, not contribute additional toxins to the environment, and create an eco-friendly habit even before you get to your office.
4. Equip your office with real plants
Since living plants give off oxygen while consuming carbon dioxide, plants purify your office air more pleasantly than commercial air purifiers that consume precious energy. In terms of how many plants, The NASA clean air study recommended 15-18 good sized oxygen producing plants and air cleaning plants for an 1,800 square foot.
5. Turn off your work computer
Since many electronic devices consume energy even when powered off, you can flip the switch on your power strip to avoid wasting any energy while you’re not using your computer. If that is not practical until the end of the work day, you can adjust your computer’s settings to ‘go to sleep’ more often during periods of inactivity.
For example, if your PC settings now have your computer set to enter sleep mode after 15 or 20 minutes of inactivity, change your settings to put your PC to sleep after five minutes when you do not access the keyboard. Over time, you’ll save a lot of energy since your PC is napping, only consuming a trickle of electricity.
6. Put together a ‘Green Team’ of co-workers
Try to assemble an eco-friendly group at the office. If you create a team of co-workers (so many people work towards the same goal), you – and senior management – will notice a potentially significant energy savings each month.
7. Get executive support for creating a green office
Try to interest one or more management executives to endorse your eco-friendly efforts. This tip relates to the one before it, as it becomes easier to assemble a green team, when you enlist the support of management.
The three R’s of going green have apt identities. Simple to adopt, these soon-to-be habits contribute to making your office eco-friendly. If you’re unclear about the three R’s, here they are.
- Reuse,
- Reduce, and
- Recycle
All three reduce the volume of garbage that consumes (wastes?) energy. Many people have already adopted these actions at home, but, sometimes ‘forget’ that helping our planet is just as wise at the office. Remember, we don’t own our planet. We are only caretakers for our children, with the responsibility to preserve and protect our environment. Creating an eco-friendly office helps fulfill this responsibility.
Featured photo credit: Kaboompics via pixabay.com
