Paint Your Office Green!

Thinking of starting a Green Committee at the office? Here are a few ideas to get you started. Try to institute at least some of the following practices into your office’s operations:

Getting to the Office and Back

• Encourage staff to commit to taking alternative modes of transportation for their daily commute. This can include options such as car-pooling, cycling, taking public transit or walking where possible.

• Avoid air travel by using video-conferences for meetings. The world's 16,000 commercial jet aircrafts produce more than 600 million tonnes of CO2 every year, nearly as much as all the countries of Africa put together.

• If you have a fleet of vehicles, try to use the most energy-efficient models possible. Encourage regular tune-ups to ensure vehicles are in tip-top shape, and eliminate idling, which hurts the environment, the company’s bottom line, and the health of bystanders.

All Things Paper

• Think twice about printing – do you really need to print or can you read and save on-screen?

• Encourage staff to set their computers to use both sides of the paper when printing or photocopying.

• Re-use old envelopes by sticking a label over the previous address.

• If you cannot reuse paper, use recycled, Forest Stewardship Council approved paper. Your paper supplier will be able to suggest options.

• Set up a recycling program for used paper, aluminum and other materials. Make sure there are plenty of recycling cans near printers, photocopiers and desks.

Reduce Energy Consumption

• Buy energy-saving office appliances and equipment, such as EnergyStar-approved computers, LCD monitors, printers and photocopiers.

• Request energy-efficiency upgrades and retrofits to office buildings.

• Recruit someone to watch for leaking taps in the bathrooms and kitchen areas, and request they be fixed right away.

• Monitor how much water your workplace uses and look at how you can reduce use.

• Turn lights on only when needed. Turn all office lights off at night. It’s good to get the last person to leave the office to check that lights are out.

• Remind colleagues to switch off monitors when they’re away from the desk and to switch off all unneeded appliances at the end of the work day.

• Set the thermostat at 19 degrees Celsius. This is generally the optimal temperature for comfort and energy efficiency.

• Avoid heating the outdoors by leaving doors and windows open when it’s hot inside.

• Keep windows and skylights clean and clear to make the most of daylight.

• Keep radiators clear. Don’t block radiators with furniture; it reduces efficiency and output.

• If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it! Check your use of electricity, gas and oil, so you know how much energy your office uses and how much you can reduce.

So go ahead, challenge your organization to paint the office green! The boss will respect your initiative and your co-workers will be green with envy for not thinking of it first!