Working from home is the ultimate eco-friendly commute. It's also a growing trend in the U.S. In 2000, nearly 4.2 million people worked from home, up from 3.4 million in 1990, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. But once you've gotten your boss to agree to your working from home in the first place, don't stop there. There are plenty of other eco-friendly considerations to make in your home office.
First: survey your office equipment. Make sure the machines you use require as little energy as possible. If you are buying new equipment, choose products certified by EnergyStar, which rates computers, copiers, fax machines, monitors, printers, scanners, all-in-one machines and even water coolers, if you are going for that true office vibe. If you will need a fax machine, scanner or copier, try purchasing an all-in-one machine like this one. Note: They use substantially less energy than separate machines, which saves you money and helps the environment.
If you need a new computer, try to buy a laptop. They use just 10 percent of the total energy a desktop computer would use, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. And you can take them outside on nice days, making you even more aware of the environment.
Once that's settled, remember to plug all of your equipment into power strips and turn them off when your workday is done. And if you leave the office for a few minutes, always put your computer in sleep mode. Some people think screen savers do the same thing, but they don't actually affect the amount of energy your computer is using. In sleep mode, though, a laptop computer will use just a fraction of one watt of electricity, according to the ACEEE.
Your work practices should also be environmentally-friendly. Go paperless, if possible. Instead of printing and mailing invoices to your clients, email the invoices to them. Buy recycled paper for printers and copy machines - even your steno pads. And when you do have to print, try it on both sides of the paper. (One advantage of EnergyStar-rated printers is that all of them will print double-sided.) If your printer doesn't have this ability, make sure to reuse the paper and only discard it after you've printed on both sides. Also take advantage of recycling programs from manufacturers of printer and copy cartridges.
Whenever you are running low on office supplies or furniture, repurpose items from elsewhere in your home instead of buying new. If you need a desk, for example, fix up an old one from another room instead of heading to the store. That type of reuse is the ultimate in eco-friendliness.
Source: BecauseAction.com
