Going Green At Work

These days, it is not uncommon to go green at home, but have you ever considered going green at work as well? You may not think it can be done, but it is in fact possible to reduce your carbon footprint at the workplace; all it takes is a little knowledge and effort. The following article will help teach you how you and your coworkers can do your part to help save the environment. Read on and learn how to go green at work.

First and foremost, you have got to get rid of those old, energy draining appliances and replace them with new Energy Star ones. Most offices will keep appliances around until they don’t work anymore, but you can actually save money as well as energy if you replace them with energy efficient ones. Energy Star appliances can often run on almost half the electricity that old ones use, not to mention the fact that they work better as well. Ask your supervisor about purchasing new energy efficient appliances for the workplace. After all, your company will be able to write it off as a business expense and save money at the same time.

Another great way that you can go green at the office is to reduce the amount of paper you use. You’d be surprised to see how much paper the average office worker goes through a day and most of it is not even necessary. Make it a habit to print out documents that you absolutely must have and then rely on electric files for the rest. Not only will this help out the environment but you will soon find that your workspace is much more organized without a bunch of paper lying around everywhere.

When it is time to eat, make an effort to pack a lunch that does not have to be stored in the refrigerator. In an office building, the fridge is constantly opened and closed throughout the day which is extremely wasteful. Try and make a habit of bringing lunches that you can keep with you at your desk. You may not be saving a whole lot of energy, but everything adds up over time.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, try and get your coworkers to make the same sacrifices you make. Sure you may not save a lot of energy if you are the only one who doesn’t use the fridge, but if you can convince the entire office to follow suit, you are talking about some serious energy conservation. You’d be surprised to find how willing people are to do their part to help save the environment. All you have to do is ask and the worst case scenario is that they ignore you.

These are just a few of the things you can do to go green at work. They might seem like minor sacrifices but every little bit helps. If you convince even one person to make the same changes you’ve made then you’ve doubled the amount of energy conserved. So use the tips you’ve just read and start doing your part to help save the environment.