|
|
- Use both sides of paper: When photocopying, set your machine to use both sides of paper and cut your consumption in half.
- Reuse unwanted paper: Don’t waste unwanted documents, shred the paper and use it as packing material.
- Reuse boxes: Schools are always crying out for resources. Give your old boxes to a local school and let the kids use them for craft time.
- Print in draft mode: To conserve even more ink, print in draft mode. It will generally lighten the shade, but you’ll still be able to read your copy clearly.
- Buy paper wisely: Create a policy to buy only chlorine-free paper with a high percentage of recycled content.
- Consider alternative paper: Think about buying paper made from hemp, bamboo or organic cotton – make sure the paper is FSC certified.
- Buy recycled toner and ink: Cartridges contribute metal and plastic to landfills, but buying toner and ink that’s refilled can help alleviate this environmental burden.
- Store manuals, policies and other documents online: Don’t print employee manuals, handbooks and office procedure documents – save them and give employees access to these documents online.
- Reduce margins: Reduce your margin settings so that your printer uses less paper.
- Encourage employees to walk or bike to work: Make walking or biking an easier option by offering showers and private changing areas at your office. Make it fun by having a national “walk or ride to work” day.
- Videoconference: Whenever possible, try to videoconference instead of travelling to meetings.
- Buy green energy: Many utility companies generate their electricity using wind or other alternative energy sources. Consider purchasing your electricity from one of these companies.
- Banish screen savers: Make sure that employees know screen savers won’t save energy. They eat up lighting and processing energy. Instead, set screen savers to “none” or “blank screen.”
- Buy local, organic coffee and tea: If you provide coffee or tea to employees, be sure that it’s local and organic to reduce your environmental impact.
- Ask staff to come up with ideas for saving energy. It's a great way to get everyone involved.
- Enjoy the fresh air. If driving at under 80km/h, turn off the air conditioning and open a window instead
- Look out for leaks. One dripping tap can waste 24,000 litres a year. You can fix it in a few minutes with a cheap washer
- Wait until your dishwasher is full. Running your AAA-rated dishwasher with a full load can use less water than washing the same dishes by hand
|
