5 Ways to Make Your Office More Green

Earth Day (April 22) is fast approaching!  Consider using this day as an opportunity to kick off long-lasting, common sense measures that will reduce your company's environmental impact (and probably save you a few bucks at the same time!)  1. Double-Sided Printing and Print Management Software - If your printers already allow for these, this is a no-cost or low-cost measure you can take with an immediate impact. By making duplex printing your default print setting, you can drastically reduce the amount of paper and toner your company consumes.  2. Ban the Bottle (and the Cup) - Plastic disposable water bottles are a significant source of waste in the US, and disposable foam and plastic cups contribute to both office waste and overhead expense. Many offices in the US have switched to on-demand refrigerated filling stations for water and providing employees with reusable plastic or glass water bottles and reusable coffee mugs or tumblers.   3. Flow Controls for Faucets - Simple adapters can be attached to almost any faucet to focus and control the flow of water, significantly reducing water use and costs.  4. Reuse Packaging - bubble wrap, packing foam, pallets, large cartons and air-filled packaging can (and should) be reused whenever possible. Crumpled up scrap paper, desk blotter sheets, and newspaper can also serve as effective packaging material for less critical shipments (packages being sent to employees, samples, returned merchandise, etc). 5. Lunch Bags - In addition to helping employees reduce their spending on take-out food, encouraging employees to bring their meals to work helps reduce the take-out bags, shopping bags, foam clamshells, and other disposable items that end up in office garbage cans. Reusable branded lunch bags or hard multi-compartment containers like the one pictured here are effective employee giveaways to kick off a Lunch-In program!