Simple, easy steps that reduce your office footprint

BY GAVIN LEIGHTON FOR GREENING OF OIL

Most of the articles written so far have been concerned with life outside of our workplaces. And that is a good place to start, but to be thorough we also have to consider our habits and behaviors while we are in the office. 

In fact, the office may be one of the times we are least focused on green efforts since our minds our wrapped up in meeting minutes or reports. 

With that in mind, I'm offering a few suggestions or additions that can reduce the environmental footprint of your workspace.

First and foremost, if you don’t have a recycling bin next to your desk or work area than either request one or purchase one yourself. The amount of paper that moves through an average office is staggering.

The EPA estimates that the average office worker will process 10,000 sheets of paper per year. 

For many of these sheets, your desk is the final destination and you decide what their fate is. Unfortunately, many offices still only have waste bins at every desk while recycling bins are few and far between. And amidst the bustle of the day, many of these sheets of paper are simply thrown in the trash due to time constraints.

Bonus hint: you can quickly and easily save paper by requesting and using electronic copies.

If you have electronic equipment at your desk such as a computer, printer, fax, etc., then make sure you turn these off when you leave or at least set them to sleep mode to conserve electricity. There are many offices where computer monitors do not sleep, thereby consuming much more energy than necessary on an annual basis.  Moreover, many lights are left on in office buildings, which should also be turned off upon leaving. If you have a regular cleaning service be sure to request that they turn off every light once they're through.

If your office provides vending machines and coffee makers, you can also help reduce the footprint of these appliances. Vending machines store individually wrapped items and make for lots of waste. Bring in your own snacks from things you get at the store. In doing so, you can avoid the waste and save money by purchasing items in larger quantities. It's simple supply and demand, they won't continue to refill the machines if people don't eat from them.

Bonus hint: planning for, and bringing your own snacks is also an easier way to snack healthier.

For coffee, make sure you bring your own mug to the office coffee maker instead of using disposable cups. And don't be shy, reminders to co-workers about bringing in their own mugs is helpful if done nicely. Or depending on the size of your office, consider purchasing reusable mugs for the office kitchen or as an employee appreciation effort so everyone starts off on the right foot.   

For those who have more flexibility, offices around the world are maintaining the same amount of work hours but enjoying three-day weekends. So you can work four 10-hour days instead of working five 8-hour workdays. This saves each individual in the office the cost of commuting to and from the office one day a week, as well as energy and resources for the every day  actions listed above. 

One of the largest facets of our lives is working. We spend many hours of our days, weeks, and years to work. During this time, we can be distracted from environmentally friendly practices.

Implementing some of these practices can help establish your own green office.

Links of interest

Green office supplies and products

Running a sustainable office 

Eco-friendly office practices

About Gavin Leighton

Gavin Leighton is a first year graduate student studying biology at the University of Miami. He is focusing his efforts on the maintenance of a cooperative behavior in an African passerine.

Born and raised near Philadelphia, PA, Leighton attended Colgate University in New York. At Colgate, he majored in environmental biology and was the president of the environmental student group on campus for two years. Leighton was also a member of the sustainability council at Colgate University. The council was a group composed of faculty, staff, and students that made advised the administration on environmental decisions.

Visit Leighton's website