Eco Tips For Greening Business. Creating a greener office can result in a healthier and more productive work place, a lighter ecological footprint, increased staff morale and good news for your bottom line. So whether you work in an office, shop or factory, run your own business or manage a corporation… taking care of the environment is easier than you think.
Here’s some simple, yet effective tips for going green at work by saving energy, conserving natural resources and reducing landfill and preventing pollution.
A Switch to 100% Recycled Office Paper. Every tonne of paper recycled can save 17 trees. The best paper to buy is bleach-free, 100% post-consumer recycled paper (usually off-white or brown in color), because it uses up to 90 per cent less water and half the energy required to make paper from virgin timber, creates demand for waste paper that would normally end up in landfill, and no trees are cut down to make the paper. Genuine recycled paper is 100% made from post-consumer waste. This means the paper has been used at least once by consumers, collected, and reconverted to pulp to make paper again. But check the fine print because some paper manufacturers call paper recycled even when it uses pre-consumer waste… meaning pulp that never left the factory. A business is not truly recycling unless it buys recycled products.
Changing A Light Bulb. Compact fluorescents are 80% more energy efficient, and last 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. A switch from conventional light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescents can be one of the most effective things your business can do to reduce emissions and global warming, and it saves you money off your energy bill too.
Green Power. Your business can save tonnes of emissions a year, by switching to renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy.
Green Printer. Look for a printer who uses vegetable-based inks, and can assist you to choose paper made from sustainable forest fibres or better still, paper recycled from post-consumer waste. Next time you are arranging the printing of your stationery or printing material, get a comparison quote from a ‘green printer’. You might be pleasantly surprised to learn how competitive the costs are compared to traditional, alcohol-based, offset printing.
How White Is Your Paper? When you buy chlorine-free writing and copier paper you’re telling paper manufacturers that you demand safer alternatives. So, choose recycled paper with a high percentage of ‘post consumer’ waste, and look for the ECF or TCF symbols to ensure that environmental harm is minimized. ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) means pulp is bleached without the use of elemental chlorine gas. Even better, TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) means pulp is bleached avoiding the use of chlorine at all. Paper manufacturers use chlorine to bleach paper bright white. The more chlorine our society uses, the more toxic substances such as dioxin there are in our water, air, soil, and in our bodies.
Implementing Green Cleaning Program. Green cleaning is not only good for the environment; it also increases workplace health and safety. Switch to environmentally responsible cleaning products and services.
Natural Air Filters Are Indoor Plants. Use Indoor plants they are natural air filters which can absorb airborne pollutants and radiation from computers while replenishing oxygen levels.
Put Your PC To Sleep. Save approx. $100 per year off your energy bill for every computer you switch off at the end of the day. If you are away from your computer for less than half an hour, put it in sleep mode, which reduces energy use to about 5% of full operating power. Also next time you’re replacing office computers, remember that laptops and notebooks use up to 90% less energy than a desktop PC. Many office computers never get switched off, needlessly consuming energy overnight and on weekends. A computer left on all day, every day uses 1,000 kilowatts of electricity over a year, producing more than a tonne of carbon emissions.
Recycling Program. Different Councils may have different regulations about what you can recycle. Kerbside collection has changed the face of office and household recycling, making it easier to reduce landfill.
Recycle The Cartridges From Your Printer, Fax And Copier For Free. Contact a free collection service that recycles all your ink jet and toner cartridges and guarantees zero waste to landfill.
Recycle Your Old Mobile Phone. Preserve the environment by keeping unused mobile phone out of landfill and recycling it back to reuse. Look for official industry recycling program that provides a solution to help clean up the environment while at the same time raising much needed funds for charities.
Treat Paper Like It Grows On Trees. Simple recycling measures can significantly reduce your waste removal expenses. Set your computer printing default to double-sided. Print out only what is necessary, and proof read documents carefully on screen to avoid having to print multiple copies. Use a paper tray to collect single-sided printed scrap paper for notes, or reuse it in your photocopier or fax machine. Place a paper recycling box under each desk, and encourage your team to transfer the contents into a centrally located recycling bin when full. Paper comprises up to 70 per cent of office waste, with 10,000 A4 sheets used for every worker each year. That’s equal to 10 million trees.
Waterless Urinals Installation. Every year, billions of litres of fresh drinking water are wasted in urinals flushing. Waterless urinals are best to use, absolutely no water while meeting the highest hygienic standards.
Go Green!!!
