Making your office more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to take a big investment of time or cash. In fact, some changes may even save your business money. Done right, each component of the Triple Bottom Line (sometimes called the 3 P’s: People, Planet, and Profit) supports the others.
Whether you have an official sustainability team or just a few interested people, there are some things you can do to make your office greener without too much effort.
Measure
Before you can know where to take your sustainability efforts, it helps to know where you are. A carbon calculator like this one can help. Your town or city may have an office or program to guide you—like this one in Portland, Oregon.
Go Paperless
Do you really need to print that? Cloud services like Google Docs and Dropbox can let you say goodbye to most, if not all, the paper in your office. Use the money you save on paper and toner to buy recycled products whenever you can.
Save Power
You can cut your energy use at the office pretty easily. Your utility may offer the option of getting your power from renewable sources. Setting your computers to hibernate when inactive and using a power strip to prevent standby power drain at night are good places to start. Setting your thermostat just a little higher in summer, and a little lower in winter, can also make a difference. Mr. Electricity’s website has all kinds of additional tips.
Eat Local
Bringing your own lunch can be a more efficient option than eating out everyday. If your company brings in food, check for sustainable, local options—like bicycle delivery, if available. Eating locally grown food when you can supports local producers and limits your food’s carbon footprint from shipping.
Work-From-Home Fridays…
…or every day. The average American commutes 51 minutes a day. Commutes may be longer where you live. All that driving adds up to a lot of money spent on gas and a lot of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. Try working from home one day a week—or more. AnswerConnect’s hundreds of Client Experience Associates work from home every day. With trust, the right technology, and commitment, you just might find that Anywhere Works.
(photo by Jean Lakosnyk via unsplash)
