What is Green? What does it mean to be green? Why is being green - - PDF document

1 How to Green Your Office: Creating the Environmentally Friendly Office

Presented by: Nat Hall

What is “Green”?

• What does it mean to be green?
• Why is being green important?
• Who benefits?

How Green is Your Office Now?

Do you…

• Recycle paper products and trash?
• Use compact florescent lighting?
• Take public transportation to work?
• Car pool?
• Work from home?
• Purchase recycle office supplies?
• Host virtual meetings?
• Use energy efficient electronics?
• Email instead of print?

2

Be Bright About Light

• Utilize natural light when possible
• Make it a habit to turn off lights
• Use energy efficient light bulbs and fixtures
• Install timers and motion sensors that shut off

lights when not needed

Maximize Computer Efficiency

• Set your computer to energy-saving settings

– Set computer to go to ‘sleep’ when not in use (screen savers do not save energy)

• Avoid phantom power

– plug hardware into a powerstrip – always turn off when leaving work

• Invest in energy-saving computers
• Recycle old equipment

Benefits of Saving Power

• Cost saving
• Maximize efficiency of electrical products
• Lengthen lifespan of electrical products
• Smaller carbon footprint

3

Go Paperless and Digital

More electronic work means less paper…

• Keep files on computers instead of in file

cabinets (be sure to back up files in more than

• ne place!)
• Review documents onscreen instead of printing
• Replace paper memos with emails
• Request to be removed from junk mailing lists

Print Smarter

• Buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of

post-consumer recycled content

• Print on both sides of paper
• Avoid color printing
• Recycle toner and ink cartridges
• Reuse boxes for shipping and shredded paper for

packing material

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

• Recycle almost everything in your office

– Fax paper, envelopes, junk mail, paperclips, cell phones, PDA’s, pagers, computers etc..

• Place recycle bins in accessible, high traffic

areas

• Provide information to co-workers about what

can be recycled

4

Benefits of Smarter Paper Use

• Cost savings – use less paper, ink and

power

• Less waste of natural resources (trees,

water, and other resources used in the production of paper and ink)

• Reduce carbon footprint
• Fewer toxins released into the

environment

Create a Healthy, Non-Toxic Office

• Purchase office supplies and furniture made of

recycled or sustainably sourced materials

• Buy furniture, carpet and paint that is free of

volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)

• Use non-toxic cleaning products
• Brighten up cubicle or office with a plant that

absorbs indoor pollution

Benefits

• Better air quality: lessen potential health

problems associated with poor indoor air quality

• Release fewer toxins into the environment
• Protect finite natural resources

(hardwoods)

• Reduction of amount of trash going to

landfills

5

Lunch Time

• Bring your lunch to work in reusable

containers, plates, utensils and napkins

• Drink tap or filtered water instead of

bottled water

• Use fair-trade, local and/or organic

coffees, teas, snacks

• If possible, compost vegetable and fruit

scraps and bio-degradable products

Benefits

• Less non-degradable trash in landfills
• Reduce your carbon footprint
• Support socially and environmentally

responsible agriculture practices

• Potential health benefits to eating
• rganically-grown produce
• If you have a garden, compost is a great

natural fertilizer!

Telecommute

• Use instant messaging, video conferencing,

teleconferencing and take online classes to make working from home a reality

• Consider a longer 4-day work week to reduce

energy and time spent on commuting to work.

• Even working from home one day a week or

a couple times a month can have a positive effect

6

Green Your Commute

• Organize an office carpool, bike, walk, or

take public transportation when possible

• Join a car-sharing service
• Consider a hybrid or fuel efficient car the

next time you are buying a vehicle

• Rent hybrid or fuel efficient vehicles when

traveling for work

Benefits

• Smaller carbon footprint
• Health benefits associated with walking or

biking

• Many workers find they are more

productive when working from home (fewer interruptions)

• Less use of fossil fuels and other non-

renewable natural resources

Other Actions

• Learn more about your carbon footprint

– http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechang e/calculator/

• Buy carbon off-sets

– http://www.nativeenergy.com/

7 Benefits of a Green Office

• Lighter ecological footprint
• Healthier environment
• Increase productivity
• Cost savings in energy and material

expenses

• Maximize computer and electronics

efficiency

What’s the Point?

• Short-term inconveniences
• Long-term benefits

– For ourselves – For our families – For our communities – For the world

Share your ideas

Lead by example…teach your co-workers the value and benefits of an environmentally friendly, green workspace