Week of Green - Tips from our Office Administrator

Lois, our office administrator, sent me a few tidbits yesterday and I wanted to add them to the blog.

Cut back on copies. The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year, according to the Sierra Club. Rather than printing out all those memos or presentation handouts, send out electronic copies or use recycled paper and double-side your printing.

Our presentation yesterday by Green Irene eco-consultant Rick Lethbridge, covered this same concept... everything he presented to us, was then sent out in an email!

Ship with available resources. Reusing old boxes is an economical way to ship while cutting down on waste. And when you need some packing material, consider using shredded paper.

Say “no” to junk mail. We spend an average of eight months of our lives dealing with junk mail, according to eco-cycle.org. To lighten the load, contact the Direct Marketing Association and register with their mail preference service so you can control the amount of direct mail you receive.

Monitor your indoor environment. When the weather’s cold, keep blinds open to capture as much warmth from the sun as you can, advises energystar.gov. On hot days, draw the blinds shut. Also make sure building vents aren’t blocked and your computer has space around it so air can circulate and help you save energy.

Again, four easy and painless ways to conserve energy and reduce waste!

Please leave comments below with any ideas or other easy ways you "reduce, reuse, and recycle"!

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for another green blog!