5 Tips to Help You and Your Company Go Green

Of course, everyone knows what going green involves, but people often don't have time and effort to devote to eco-friendly initiatives due to busing working schedules. However, you can implement some small changes in your lives at a little or no effort and save a lot of money in the long run. It can cost you absolutely nothing to stuff your wallet and at the same time be kind to the planet. You don't have to break the bank to adopt a greener approach. Over time, more people have begun to see the benefits of leading an eco-friendly life. Of course, everyone wants to save money on their monthly energy bills, stay healthier than before, and take care of their surroundings. Many people put a lot of effort to make their homes sustainable. The following tips are helpful for anyone interested in learning how to go green in their life.

Use Less

In many homes, you use computers and other electronic devices to optimize energy settings and save on their energy bills. As such, you are encouraged to always switch off our computers and printers in the evening before you go to bed. You can now use a power strip as the main switch to help disconnect your devices from the power supply before heading to bed. It also makes sense to turn off any light in the room that isn't in use. Also, remember to power down an inkjet printer before disconnecting it from the power supply to allow it to seal its cartridges before it shuts off.

Use Recycled Items

You can use recyclable materials to make things such as pencils, books, and pens, and opt for refillable markers and pens instead of disposable ones. Use recyclable cloth towels, papers, and biodegradable soaps in the kitchen and bathroom and make sure your supermarket carries biodegradable cleaners. You can also opt to reuse the shipping boxes and buy products in bulk to reduce packaging and shipping wastes. It costs you nothing to recycle printer cartridges, so you should opt for recycled replacements instead of the new ones.

Go Car-Free

You may need to change your means of transport to your workstation. If possible, you should ride your bike or walk to work to help reduce carbon emissions and improve your overall health. Consider utilizing a car share service, carpooling with workmates, or public transport to help reduce carbon emissions. While going car-free isn't always practical, you can reduce the days you drive to work. For shorter distances, grab a comfortable pair of sports shoes and team up with workmates, but for longer distances, use your older bike to cycle to work. Cycling or jogging to work will not only reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, which has a significant impact on climate change but also boosts your health and fitness level.

Avoid Paperwork

You should always opt for electronic communication media such as emails, phone calls, and PowerPoint presentations whenever possible. The other way your office can go paperless is to set the default settings of their photocopier and printer. Recent research has also revealed that workers don't collect 30 percent of prints that they send to their printers, and this can add up to the already existing piles of waste papers. Those in charge of procurement should opt to buy recycled papers to reduce documents that go to waste.

Form Go Green Committees

With all these green initiative ideas, a worker has no excuse as to why they don't lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. Implementation of these green ideas can also result in reduced annual bills, the increased value of an office, and save money on inventory. You can also team up with like-minded workmates and constitute a team focused on reducing office waste and increasing energy efficiency.