I am thankful that the day has come along where being environmentally friendly is on everyone's minds. There are so many areas of our lives where we can be gentler on the environment, and most people adopt those eco-habits into their home lifestyle. But often, they forget these habits at work.
Adopting eco-friendly business practices is not difficult, and is often the same as what you do at home. But to get you started on the road of being gentler on our Earth, here is my top 10 list of eco-friendly business practices that you can adopt easily TODAY!
1. Recycled paper - An easy and obvious change. Use recycled paper for all of your printing, faxing, and other paper needs. You can even find notepads made with recycled paper.
2. Go paperless - Why not plus the previous suggestion, and go paperless as often as possible? With the current technology available to us (email, Internet, Wi-Fi, digital photos, etc.), it is easier than ever to use less paper.
3. Recycle your paper waste - Do you see a theme here? But this goes with the entire theme of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". Now how hard was that?
4. Recycle your old computer parts - Do you have a really old computer that you don't need anymore? How about a printer or fax machine that died on you? Don't send it to the dump - recycle it! Find a local recycling program by visiting the EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm.
5. Recycle your printer and toner cartridges - This should be a no-brainer, as there are incentive programs for doing this where you can earn money or discounts. A perfect example is that you can get a $3 coupon from Staples when you bring in your old, used printer and toner cartridges.
6. Reusable cups - Do you have coffee or drinking water at your office? Instead of using disposable cups, bring a reusable mug or glass from home.
7. Turn off your computer - Why use electricity when no one is using the computer? Make sure you turn off not only your computer when you go home at night, but also the printer, fax, and all other electronic devices.
8. Stationary Roundup - Do you have a ton of old pencils in your desk, and you don't use pencils anymore? Or how about a small crate of notepads that you don't use? Talk to your office manager about starting an annual "Stationary Roundup", where each employee cleans out their desks and puts all unused stationary products into a bin. These are then used to replenish the existing stocks, and you end up with a cleaner, more organized desk!
9. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs - Yes, they cost more (although the cost has gone down), but they use less energy AND they last longer than regular light bulbs.
10. Car pool - I know from personal experience that this is easier said than done, but every little bit helps. It is often beyond many people's means to buy a new, cleaner vehicle, but that doesn't mean that you can't change your driving habits to reduce your total emissions.
Tiffany D. Wilsonhas lived in the South Bay of Los Angeles County for almost 10 years. She and her family enjoy the safety and rich family features that the beach communities of the South Bay have to offer, including a close and neighborly community. Also, having experienced an out-of-country move to California over 10 years ago, she is perfectly positioned to assist foreign buyers in their search for real estate in the South Bay and additional surrounding communities of Los Angeles and Orange County. She can be reached directly at 310-503-0557.
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