How To Make Your Office More Eco-Friendly

Now is the time to start going green! (If you haven’t already.) But where do you begin? Going green seems intimidating at the beginning, but it’s important to do. Not only does it keep our environment safe, but it will also help you feel like you are making an impact. Here are some steps your office can take to be more eco-friendly.

Cut back on paper

A simple way of making your office more eco-friendly is by going paperless. If you have a printer, it would be easy to begin scanning everything and emailing documents instead of printing them. In this way, you save on time and energy used in the printing process, which both add up over time.

In addition to that, if you print a lot of documents, consider switching up to a double-sided printer. It would only take one more sheet of paper and would save your company money on ink in the long run.

Recycle

Recycling old paper is an easy way to give back to the earth. Put all your old paper in a recycling bin, and make sure it is marked “cardboard” or “recycling” so that it can be put through a machine at your local waste management facility rather than landfilled.

Paper, cardboard, and glass all can be recycled. Cardboard is usually placed in the same type of container as paper; glass goes into its own recycling container. Plastic can be recycled at many offices or businesses around your home town.

Use less power

Turn off the lights when you leave a room. If you need to be in a dark room, turn on the light-sensitive automatic lighting system. Put a power strip with a switch on your computer and various other electronics so you can quickly get rid of standby mode and save energy. Turn off all computers at night. Unplug chargers and cell phone chargers when not in use.

Cut out single-use plastic

With the increased attention to recycling and the environment, single-use plastic items such as water bottles, pens, coffee cups, and portable chargers are being replaced by reusable alternatives.

Including a reusable water dispenser in the kitchen saves money on bottled water and encourages people to refill it rather than throw away plastic bottles after one use.

Use eco office supplies

A lot of office supplies are harmful to the environment. Use eco-friendly products instead to avoid polluting and harming the environment. You can use non-toxic pens and pencils. People write a lot in offices, so use pens and pencils that don’t emit toxins and chemicals into the air you breathe every day. Use recycled paper, hemp paper, soy ink, and recycled pencils.

Properly dispose of e-waste

If you have a computer, printer, or television monitor at your office, it’s important to dispose of the old devices correctly. If you don’t, dangerous chemicals can leach into the ground from hazardous e-waste.

You can find companies that will recycle electronics for a fee – this is typically the least expensive option as it doesn’t cost much to recycle e-waste. Additionally, make sure the company has the proper licensing, insurance, and safety precautions in place to properly dispose of harmful materials.

Looking for eco-friendly office equipment?

Call us at UCI Documents to get all of your office equipment! 806-372-7722