5 Ways Workers "Green" the Workplace - From Exit Signs to Coffee Cups

Small things make a big difference when it comes to encouraging an eco-friendly workplace. Not all employers are able to rely on modern sustainable construction. Not all offices stock the latest in sustainable products in the supply closet. With a little attention to things as simple as exit signs and coffee cups, you can help bring environmentalism to your work-a-day environment.

Here are five ideas of how to start on the road to Green:

Talk Trash: Workplace waste can mound up fast. It clogs the landfills, flattens the forests, and leaches toxic chemicals into the dumping grounds. Strategically placing a paper recycling bin in each copy room or even in every office spares a lot of grief in the garbage. Sponsor a Go Green Day and give away company coffee mugs as a perk, ending the need for paper and polystyrene for the morning brew. It's amazing the change brought by a few extra bins and a ceramic cup of joe.

Get On the Outs: Everyone has seen, and heard, the humming, flickering buzz of damaged overhead lights or broken exit signs. Building Services orders a new bulb, fixes a short, and is guaranteed to return a couple weeks later when the stairwell exit signs fade to black once more. Encourage maintenance supervisors to make the switch to photoluminescent products and compact fluorescent bulbs when servicing ambient and emergency lighting. The company will save thousands in power bills and the environment wins too.

Ride the Super-Highway: Business travel can rack up tons of pounds of carbon waste as quickly as it accrues frequent flyer miles. Educate yourself and your co-workers on state-of-the-art teleconferencing systems. Lose next to none of the productivity and save a wad of cash, not to mention jet fuel. The number-crunchers will love the lack of ticket purchase and per diem expense, which easily offset any cost for acquiring equipment and software. Staff will appreciate the flexibility.

Shut it Down: Want to cut costs, improve security, and save the world all at once? Shutting down office computers is the key. Computers, monitors, and printers left in "stand-by" mode can use an additional 20% of unnecessary energy over the course of one workweek. Properly shutting down the individual workspace leads to company-wide savings and a boost in office desktop security. Encourage your co-workers and staff to shut it down at quitting time and reap the benefits.

Get Organized: A list is just a list until it's put into action. Few employees know how to access the masses better than the staff in Human Resources. Contact your H.R. department about creating an office "Green Group". Offer to lead the efforts in making work a cleaner, greener place to spend a third of your day. A group effort raises morale and builds team spirit in the office.

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5 Ways Workers "Green" the Workplace - From Exit Signs to Coffee Cups