Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Home Office

With the work-at-home trend on the rise, employees are looking for ways to create

an efficient office space at home that is functional while also being eco-friendly. Telecommuting is, by virtue of its gas-saving abilities, inherently green. Fewer employees commuting to work means less dependence on gas and less energy being used to power commercial buildings, a boon to our pocketbooks and our natural surroundings. However, it is important to carry this eco-friendly mentality beyond just gas consumption and into easily implemented changes for our home offices.

Fresh Air, Natural Light: This one seems obvious, but will make a huge difference not only in your energy bill, but in your mood and motivation. Study after study has shown that natural sunlight improves mood and that fresh air and access to the outdoors boosts motivation and energy. Not to mention, cracking that window open means turning down that A/C and switching off the light!

Reuse: Almost everything in your office can be used multiple times, or multiple ways. Printed on a half sheet of paper? Cut the other half off and save it for a grocery list or to jot down a quick to-do list. Done with your printer ink cartridge? Refill it, or purchase a remanufactured ink cartridge instead of buying new ones that require more energy to create and more plastic.

Recycle: Papers, plastics and glass can all be recycled. Find out which materials your city recycled and be sure to place recycling bins (these can just be wastepaper baskets) in your home office. Purchasing recycled products (paper cups, printer paper, manila folders, etc) is also beneficial as it cuts back on tree depletion. Even your business cards can be made from recycled products! Don't toss your empty ink or laser toner cartridges in the trash! The remaining ink or chemicals will seep into the earth and cause major damage. There are easy ways to recycle ink cartridges! Just enter your zip code into the Earth 911 recycling center location tool to find the recycling station nearest to your home.

Go Vintage: Purchase office furniture that is vintage or gently used instead of buying new items that require the destruction of more natural resources and more energy consumption to produce.

Unplug to Save Energy: Not using your printer? Unplug it. Even if they are not in use and have been switched off, electronics still use a minimal amount of energy as long as they remain plugged in.

Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Home Office

By: Lianer

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