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Tips to Green Your Office
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- Form a green team to help set recycling and/or composting performance goals then formulate a plan to get started and monitor your progress.
- Recycle your office paper, newspaper, magazines, cardboard, plastic, computers and other electronics, toner cartridges, fluorescent bulbs, furniture, and packaging from shipments.
- If your office has some green space, consider purchasing a food waste digester from the Solid Waste Management District to compost your office food waste.
- Place recycling bins at each desk and at central locations in your office. Clearly label the recycling bins so that materials are separated correctly.
- Buy recycled and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper and office supplies made of recycled material.
- Print on both sides of the paper. Switch printers to double sided default.
- Switch fax machines to print reports only when there is a problem.
- Distribute office memos through email.
- Limit your printing by keeping files on your computer, instead of your filing cabinet.
- Buy in bulk to minimize packaging.
- Encourage staff who cannot recycle certain items at home to bring them to the office to recycle.
- Use a digital camera. This saves waste created from disposable cameras, film and chemicals.
- Donate unwanted office furniture to the Cleveland Kids in Need Resource Center (216) 361-0840 or The Cleveland Furniture Bank at (216) 459-2265.
- Avoid printing your emails.
- Use scrap paper (both sides) for those quick notes.
- Set your computer to go into sleep mode when not in use, and turn your computer and monitor off when you leave for the night.
- Use the spell check and print preview functions before printing out a document.
- Replace disposable plates, cups, bowls and utensils with washable ones. Consider printing your company logo on them.
- Bring your lunch to work in reusable containers with a reusable cloth napkin.
- Create rewards for recycling.
- Consider holding conference calls instead of travelling. This saves time, fuel and energy.
- Buy furniture made from recycled materials.
- Update the mailing list and delete any out of date addresses.
- Ask your suppliers about their environmental practices.
- Switch light bulbs to energy saving fluorescent or LED bulbs.
- Take advantage of natural light if it is available.
- Use LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards when building or selecting office or factory space.
- Purchase Energy Star office equipment.
- Have a professional energy audit performed to determine cost saving opportunities.
- Green your transportation. Offer employee perks for using RTA or carpooling.
- Green your fleet vehicles. Purchase hybrid vehicles.
- Add indoor plants to clean the air.
- Sponsor or support local environmental initiatives in your region, nationally and internationally.
For additional information or questions, please contact the District’s Business Recycling Specialist Doreen Schreiber at (216) 443-3732 or dschreiber@cuyahogacounty.us