Hey earth muffins! Whether you like it or not, you are going to spend a lot of time at your workplace. This might be a home office or a large room of cubicles… But don’t think you have to limit your sustainability habits just because you are at work. In today’s post, I will share the best tips for how to have an eco-friendly office. These are easy ways to increase sustainability while at work!
1. Reuse paper! (and all other office supplies)
In today’s world, it seems like everyone knows that they should reuse paper. But here is a good reminder to do so! Set your default to print on both sides of the paper, reuse anything that has a blank side, and if your company has a stack of old invoice paper they plan on getting rid of use it as scratch paper! On top of paper, reuse things like binder and paper clips, envelopes, etc.
2. Save office supplies from ending up in the trash!
In my field, we get a lot of documents from clients. And that means a whole bunch of paper clips, etc. This means free office supplies for you. 😍 Take the extra three seconds to take off all the paper clips before putting documents in the shred bin – and reuse them (see tip #1).
3. Select a more eco-friendly printer.
If you have your own printer at the office, see if they will allow you to pick a more eco-friendly one like the Epson Ecotank. For those that share an office-wide printer setup, talk to those in charge of ordering equipment to pick the most eco-friendly printer possible. (And don’t forget to recycle printer ink cartridges if you can!)
4. Don’t buy office supplies on impulse – use what you have first!
While those “back to school” sales can be tempting, make sure you use up all of your old supplies before buying new ones. If your office is anything like mine, there are cabinets full of perfectly good erasers, staples, paper clips, etc. Raid the cupboards before buying anything… And then always opt for secondhand supplies if you can.
5. At the end of the day, shut down your computer.
Don’t just put it to sleep as your monitors/laptops still draw power that way. Also take a look at your sleep settings; have your computer go to sleep after the shortest amount of time away from the desk! This will reduce your power usage throughout the day if you find yourself away from your desk for long periods of time.
6. Create a “green team” at work.
It’s awesome to make these small changes yourself, but it’s more fun to do them with others! Show some leadership skills and create a “green team” at your office (or join one if it has already been started). Invite coworkers and lead the change!
7. Carpool or take eco modes of transportation to the office!
It is all good and well to follow these tips to a more eco-friendly office; but, you also need to think about how you are getting to work. For those that do in-office work, get to the workplace by walking, biking, public transportation, or carpooling if possible. Mother Earth will thank you for not taking your car every day!
You spend a lot of time at work… Which means it is important to follow these tips and create a more eco-friendly office. It isn’t difficult to reduce, reuse, and recycle (in that order!) in the workplace. I challenge you all to make your offices as sustainable as they can be! 😊 What do you do to stay green at work? Comment below and let me know your favorite tips!
Love,
Jenna ♥
Such good tips. Thanks for sharing them.
These are fantastic suggestions! I’ll be passing them along to the people I know that work in an office! I hope your week is going well and summer is treating you right <3