A greener friendly work environment can mean a smaller ecological footprint, a business that is more productive and healthier in the work place not only impacts the bottom line in a positive way, but it helps in appealing to other potential clients that are green conscience.  This is a great concept but unless it comes down from on high in the company it may never be implemented.  The steps need to be clear and understandable.  They need to be followed from the top-down in order to gain buy-in from the rest of the employees. 

Get More Work Done, Burn Less Energy
For many companies, the computer is the central tool at work. It is important to make sure to optimize the energy settings for all the computers.  This is a modest energy saver.  Make sure computer screens are shut off and have standby/sleep mode set just in case it is not turned off.  Set computers to energy-saving settings and make sure to shut them down when you leave for the day (“standby” settings will continue to draw power even when not in use). There is smart hardware that can power down the whole system at once.  (smart power strip).  Also check to make sure printers, scanners, and other devices that are only used on occasion are powered down or unplugged until you need them.  And of course, don’t forget those pesky lights in spaces that are not being used.  Motion sensor switches are a great answer to this ongoing battle.

Reevaluate the Workspace
Going green in the office could be as simple as adding more ambient lighting and moving furniture around to capitalize on it.  Incandescent bulbs should be removed when ever possible.  They can be replaced by fluorescent fixtures.  But don’t stop there; LED technology is bursting at the seems with lamps that will last over 30 years of constant operation before they burn out.  Plus they use the least amount of electricity of any incandescent or fluorescent on the market.  Natural light is still one of the best light sources since it is free and regenerates the human soul.  It has been proven to improve worker satisfaction and productivity.  Check HVAC options as well.  Implement zone technologies and changing your temperatures by just a few degrees can make a huge impact at the end of the month.

Go Digital Docs
Here we are smack dab in the Iphone / Ipad revolution yet we continue to print up forests of trees for nonessential printing that get’s tossed or recycled again.  One person stated that “the greenest paper is no paper at all,” so we should keep things in the digital realm whenever possible. The more you do online, the less you need paper. Keep files on computers (backed up of course) instead of in file cabinets – the moving companies really love you for this too. Review documents on your computer rather than printing them out. Send more emails and PDF documents instead of paper letters. Try software solutions like Greenprint.  They help to eliminate blank pages from documents before printing and can also convert to PDF for paperless document sharing.

Go Green on the (RP) Recycled Paper
When your are looking to purchase printer paper, look for (RP) recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content (stuff that has already been used and it’s now being reused again) and the minimum of chlorine bleaching. (Bad for Mother Earth.)  RP tends to consume a lot of energy and a earths resources like water and chemicals to get it back to the store shelf again.  Also look for printers that print in duplex mode (double sided) so you can cut back on the amount of paper you print on.