Working World

Here are five simple suggestions to help your office go green. Anyone can institute them, from the mailroom clerk to the CFO.

1. Be smart about lights. Artificial light accounts for much more electrical use in office buildings than it needs to. Turn off the lights when you leave the room for more than 15 minutes. Better yet, stay with natural light as much as you can.

2. Watch the computer drain. When you leave for the day, turn off the computer and the power strip. Check with IT or someone else in the know to be sure maintenance or backup doesn’t take place at night. Remember, screensavers don’t save electricity. Put your computer on standby when you will not be using it during breaks. Do the same with copiers.

3. Go paperless when possible. Can staff read things like employee manuals and announcements online? Store forms digitally, too. If you must print, use both sides of the paper, use “quick mode” to save ink and avoid color printing.

4. Get real about your food. Use regular cups, plates and cutlery for all snacks, lunches and office parties. The cost of one bottle of dish detergent is much less than towering stacks of Styrofoam cups and paper plates.

5. Recycle everything you can. Station bins in high-traffic areas and post clear information on what to include. You will save money and save the environment. It will be one step at a time, one person at a time. No one is powerless.