Decrease Your Environmental Impact at Work

Measuring your environmental impact at work does not require rocket science or a lot of time, just the willingness to take a long hard look at yourself and your habits. Calculating your personal impact, starts before you even get to the office, with your commute. Understanding how you impact the environment can help you decrease your environmental foot print. To learn more about how you can implement a waste management and recycling program at your office, contact a local waste management company in Connecticut.

Commute

Driving to work every day you are contributing to the massive amount of CO2 that is released into the atmosphere every day. For every gallon of gas that you use, about 1 pound of CO2 is released into the atmosphere. There are a few things you can do to lower the amount:

Get a tune-up so your car is working as efficiently as possible.
Opt for a hybrid or electric vehicle.
Use public transportation when available.
Car pooling with co-workers will help cut down on the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere.

Energy Use

Saving energy in the office is not just for the big end of business. For many small businesses, being connected via technology is pivotal to business success. The energy use from office equipment in a typical small business may account for approximately 18 percent of its overall energy bill and as a result can significantly contribute to the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted by a business. Some things that you can do to conserve energy:

Turn down the brightness on our computers screen
Utilize computers energy settings.
Use power strips to allow for quick shut off of electronics
Photocopy in batches
Use energy efficient computers

Reduce Consumption

Take a good hard look at all of the items you use on a daily basis while at work. Are there things that you can do without? There are probably several items that you could replace. Look to replace items that you use every day with sustainable items and try to reduce the amount of items you use. Some alternatives to help reduce the amount of waste generated at work:

Use reusable coffee mugs and water bottles
Purchase reusable batteries
Bring your lunch in a reusable bag rather than a paper bag
Refillable ink cartridges

Waste

Offices produce over 100 million tons of paper waste every year. By recycling instead of throwing things away, you can take the first step to reducing this huge number. There is no reason not to recycle, cutting your paper usage may be the easiest thing on the list. Eliminating and reducing the amount of paper waste your office generates, you can cut your waste bill by 50 percent or more.

Key Takeaways:

There are several ways to cut your carbon footprint including reducing driving mileage.
Cutting back on energy use in the office is as easy as installing a power strip.
Stop using disposable materials when there are sustainable alternatives.
Paper waste is the most prevalent and the most easily remedied cause of negative environmental impact.

Need Help?

If your business is interested in going green, contact us today!

* Photo Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

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