Due to the pandemic, more people are working from home than ever. And when proven successful, it’s become apparent that it may become a permanent solution for some companies. With traditional offices possible becoming the past, so will also some of its environmental footprint. However, instead of completely disappearing, it will follow us into the home offices. An office where individual employees are held responsible instead of employers that usually provide the needed energy, air conditioning, supplies and capacity.
Pre pandemic, more companies were implementing green office initiatives. Which is also something we can expect to be reflected in home offices in the near future. So, with that said, it’s time to start thinking about how to make you home office green. In this post we’ll be talking about a few steps you can take to make your home office green.
Light
The first thing that might come to mind is saving energy. As a first step. think about your office lighting. Choose a space with maximum natural light or the greenest form of artificial light. Maybe rearrange the rooms or choose a room with the lightest colored walls that will reflect light better. If rearranging isn’t the most practical option, you can light your office with environmentally friendly LED light bulbs. They are a little pricier at first hand, but in the long haul they last longer and will ultimately show it’s benefit in your energy bill.
Energy
There are undoubtably tons of things in your home office that require energy. From your computer to lights and maybe a printer. Needless to say, the more devices, the more energy you consume. What you can do however, is to make sure you enable energy saving features on all devices that have them and turn them off when you’re not using them. Also, ditch the unnecessary devices like your so-so necessary mini fridge.
Printing
There’s no beating around the bush when it comes to printers, they’re just not environmentally friendly. But while working from home, some may find that you don’t even need a printer like you would in office as everything is managed online. But if you truly can’t ditch your printer, invest in a laser jet since they are great for high volume print needs as prey print faster and supplies last longer, which results in less energy and reduced waste. Also, don’t forget to recycle your used ink cartridges and buy remanufactured cartridges. These are basically returned cartridges that are refilled and resold for cheaper prices.
Waste
If you’re a former post-it enthusiast like myself, it’s time to move to new options. It’s easy to forget about all the waste that actually accumulates in your office bins like notes, coffee cups and paper towels. And while at home, it’s easy to fall into the same habits. But since this is your new office, it’s time to get mindful about waste and eliminate as much as possible. For example, use a microfiber cloth instead of paper towels if you spill coffee, or put up a white board and ditch those post-its. A few other things to think about is to make your own coffee and find your favorite cup to avoid disposable ones. Lastly, don’t forget to recycle everything that does go to waste.