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Recycling is a great thing but if you can reuse, before recycling, that's even better. Here ae some ideas for finding a secondary use for all those plastic milk bottles. |
Green home » green office Green Up Your OfficeCreating a green home is all the rage these days but as many people spend huge chunks of their time in offices, it makes sense to green these workplaces up as well. There are a number of easy changes which you can do to make your office a greener and healthier environment to work in. Often in a workplace situation there needs to be a person who is driving these simple changes, perhaps you could be that person. Here are some following ideas to get you started. A better light: - Make a policy to buy eco bulbs to replace regular lighting. - Get people into the habit of turning lights off if you are out of a room for more than 15 minutes. - Last one home at night turn out the lights! - Utilise natural light by opening blinds and curtains. Computers - Turn off computers when you leave for the day. - Recycle old computers to charities or other organizations. - Buy energy efficient computers. Print Smarter - Apparently the average office worker uses around 10,000 sheets of paper a year. Make it a policy to do double sided printing. - Avoid colour printing for drafts etc. - Use recycled paper. - Save scrap paper for notes etc. - Recycle toner and ink cartridges or buy remanufactured ones. - Purchase a printer, scanner, photocopier and fax in one machine to save on consumables. Go Paperless - Circulate memos by email. - Think before you print. - Post manuals and documents online whenever possible. Recycle and Reuse - Place recycling bins in high traffic areas and provide clear information on how they are used. - Recycle old phones and pagers etc. - Set up a worm farm in your office to recycle shredded paper and use worm castings and fluid to water office pot plants. - Provide reusable mugs and plates in the tearoom instead of disposable cups. - Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture from recycled materials. You Are What You Eat - Buy organic, fair-trade coffee and tea. - Provide filtered water to avoid bottled water waste. - Place all food scraps in food bin which someone can take home for composting or feeding chickens or worms. Getting to work - Provide secure bike lock-ups and shower facilities for cyclists - Car pool if able. - Use public transport. - Invest in videoconferencing and other technologies that can help reduce the amount of travel required. Create a Healthy Environment - Make a policy to use non-toxic cleaning products - Open windows instead of using air conditioner - Brighten up environment with living plants which help to absorb indoor pollution. - Introduce policy to use carpets, furniture and paints that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) that won’t give off toxic chemicals. |
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