Green Tips For Offices

Here are the key suggestions and solutions for general uses:

Maintenance and Green Building
1.Turn up the air con one or two degrees. Each 1-degree increase for an eight-hour period reduces your fuel bill percent, saving money, and cutting down on electricity usage.
2.If you can, install ceiling fans to cool down your building without overusing the A/C.
3.Strategically placed windows will provide natural light and may help with heating or cooling costs.
4. Switch to eco-friendly light bulbs that save money and electricity, turn out lights when they’re not being used, especially in conference and training rooms.
5. Switch to safe cleaning products. Put out hand sanitizer to cut down on over-washing hands in the bathroom.
6. Buy furniture made of eco-friendly items. Support local furnishers and companies that use environmentally-sound and humane methods for manufacturing these goods.
7. Buy supplies from local businesses.
8. Ensure that your building is properly insulated and fix any water leaks to cut down on wasted electricity and water, which also saves money.
9. Plant in-season, local flowers and shrubs, cut down on excessive landscaping that rips up the natural environment. Also, use safe and/or natural pesticides will help keep your plants healthy without damaging your health or the environment, opt for natural mosquito repellants such as catnip and citronella grass. If you’re allowed, get rid of waste by composting.
10. Be aware of dumping and runoff laws. Dump trash in zoned areas and keep empty trash cans around your premises so that it’s easy for patrons to properly dispose of garbage.
11. Reserve the closest parking spots for those who car pool and drive eco-friendly cars. Help your employees set up a car pool or van pool so that they can cut down on pollutants. Set up a large bike rack at your premises to encourage employees and visitors to ride their bikes instead of driving.

Hardware
12. Use recycled paper, write on both sides of paper, use up to every inch of scratch paper before throwing it away, and recycle ink cartridges.
13. Purchase eco-friendly computers. Also consider laptops as they use less electricity than desktops. Whatever computers you buy safely recycle them.
14. Hook up several computers to the same printer. This popular method saves electricity and paper, since you don’t have to continuously stock several different printers, and money. Also use eFax: This online version of a fax service cuts down on wasted paper.
15. Know how to clean your computers: Eco-friendly, safe computer cleaning tips include using biodegradable dust cloths and old t-shirts.
16. Turn off computers when not in use.

Break Areas/Cafeterias
17. Sell Fair Trade coffee. Fair Trade coffee is made in eco-friendly and humane conditions.
18. Sell drinks and snacks that are bottled and packaged in eco-friendly materials.
19. Provide food that is from within 100 miles of your community to ensure that you’re supporting local farmers and cutting down on pollutants from shipping food.

Using the Web
20. Take advantage of all the Web tools and sites you can use to cut down on paper.
21. Hold meetings and organize training workshops online through a virtual world like SecondLife instead of requiring employees to drive to offsite meetings.
22. Move accounts online. Cut down on paper notices and make it easier for patrons to keep up with their accounts by making them accessible via the Web.
23. Instead of mailing out paper newsletters, create e-mail campaigns to announce special events and keep in touch.
24. Create a Facebook (News - Alert) or other social network page to stay in contact with your employees and list events and announcements.