Is Your Company Doing Its Part to “Go Green”?

As the country recognizes today as Earth Day, it’s a good time to reflect and ask the question: Is my company doing everything possible to help the environment and “Go Green”?

By taking an active role in cutting down on wasteful practices in your office and recycling whenever possible, there are numerous ways you and your coworkers can do your part to become responsible stewards of our Mother Earth.

This year’s Earth Day theme is The Face of Climate Change and there are a lot of steps you can take immediately to start reducing your “Carbon Footprint” (an estimate of the impact your consumption is having on the planet).

It should be no surprise that one of the hottest job sectors and specialized industries over the past 5 years has been “green companies” – those businesses committed to the prevention of pollution, protection of natural resources, waste reduction and the production of earth-friendly products.

Even if your company isn’t directly involved in environmental issues, every worker in the country can do his or her part to recycle and reduce waste.

The following 10 tips can not only help to reduce your “Carbon Footprint” on the planet but can also help your office cut down on waste and encourage recycling:

1. Studies show that by simply providing various recycling bins in the office, employees are encouraged to be more waste conscious. Ensure that each bin is labeled correctly and be sure to have a bin with a slit on the top that you can secure with a padlock for those documents that contain sensitive information and need to be shredded.
2. Avoid the use of bottled water – either use a plumbed-in water chiller or chill re-usable bottles in your fridge.
3. Use mugs and glasses instead of plastic cups.
4. Don’t put paper recycling trays on desks, as evidence shows people use less paper if the recycling facilities are not so convenient.
5. Encourage the use of scrap paper for making notes and taking messages, instead of Post-it notes and memo pads.
6. Use a Cloud Server or online database for HR documents to avoid massive printing jobs (cuts down on toner and paper consumption, energy, cost, and allows employees convenience of being able to access documents when needed).
7. Archiving software and electronic document management solutions can greatly reduce the need for paper in the office.
8. Encourage your customers and suppliers to accept invoices by email and payments online.
9. Send out digital marketing material (PDF brochures, datasheets, newsletters, etc.) instead of glossy printed ones.
10. Encourage staff to use environmentally-friendly commuting methods (public transportation, carpooling, etc.) and offer incentives for those who participate.

By focusing your efforts on these tips you’ll be taking a great step towards doing your part to help the environment. Not only will you be doing your part to reduce your Carbon Footprint, but you’ll also be sending an important message to your clients about how much you care about the environment.

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