Green Options For Your Home Office
Earth Day may have been last week, but it doesn’t mean you should stop thinking green. As an entrepreneur you may not have made the leap (or may not want to) to an office building. Instead you may be working from home, or chose to have a home office. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t mean you can’t make green options for your home office.
Desks
The desk is a staple in any office—home or otherwise. There are plenty of manufactures out there that make desks completely from recycled materials. Look for desks made of bamboo and other eco friendly materials such as un-treated wood. If bamboo and un-treated wood aren’t for you, think about buying a vintage desk. Don’t forget, this is a form of recycling.
Paper
Recycling should be a given, but using recycled paper might not be yet. The costs are about the same when buying recycled versus regular paper so just do it. Since many documents can be sent electronically these days, you may not need to use paper at all or very rarely. Reusing paper is also a great idea—printing on both sides of the paper will help save paper and cut down on paper costs as well (I know I do it and hardly ever have to buy paper).
If you send a lot of mail, you should check out the green options United States Postal Service provides. Not only do they make green choices as an organization, but they help you with making greener options as well.
Your Home
If you are in the process of building a home, you may want to consider using steel. Residential steel buildings are a great eco-friendly choice to make for your home. Steel is 100% recyclable and lasts longer than other building materials. If you aren’t in the market of building a home, there are other options you can do easily and are affordable.
Make the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs over incandescent bulbs. “They use 75% less energy and last 8 to 10 years,” says Jennifer Roberts, the author of Good Green Homes.
Remember that little changes we all make can make a difference. If everyone works together we can make the environment better. What are some options you have made to make your office (home or otherwise) greener?
April 27th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Attitudes to energy are changing. Until fairly recently, this may not have been a particularly big deal. Most people now would pay more for an energy-efficient home. I believe that in the future, a green home will be more important than a fashionable home.
April 28th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Another way to save on paper is by using your computer software for faxes. Using a simple PDF printer, or other software, save your file, and use software - receive your faxes that way too… no printing needed. Not only is it Green, but it saves on the expenses of ink and paper.
April 29th, 2010 at 5:07 am
Nice blog about recycled paper
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May 29th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Great post!
Remember that the guy that comes into your office after you go home for the night can also be green.
There are some great green carpet cleaning products on the market. And now the EPA has certified a carpet protector “Designed for the Environment”
Every little bit helps!
Jay Jetty
Carpet Cleaning Las Vegas
June 16th, 2010 at 11:13 am
My company implements Green practices and principals not only in our workshops, but also in our bath & body products. It’s amazing how much waste and garbage you can cut back on by recycling and being cognizant. I think being eco-responsible (especially we as business owners) should be encorporated into our business plans. And if it’s not already…the business plan needs to be revised. Essentially, leaders (business owners) need to lead.
March 10th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Great article and one I wish I had on my blog! Andrew Spencer writes informative and useful articles on home office furniture, office desks, office chairs, reception counters, meeting tables and office screens: http://www.londonofficefurniture.co.uk/blog
June 17th, 2012 at 6:42 am
incandescent lights uses too much electricity compared to compact fluorescent lamps.^” website