There are all sorts of things to consider when you’re creating the perfect home office. You need to put thought into a space that is relaxing and nice to be in all day, but also somewhere that is conducive to work. Colors schemes, layout, and storage are all important aspects but people often forget to think about making the office environment-friendly. Going green benefits you because it gives you a better public image and it saves you money at the same time. If you have not considered your carbon footprint before, check out these tips for a greener office space.
Go Paperless
Producing paper and printing everything out is not very environment-friendly, especially when you consider the chemicals in the ink too. It is also costing you a lot more money than you realize; the thing is you don’t need to be using paper at all anymore. You can easily send and receive all of the documents you need electronically so making the switch to paperless office is easy. The other major benefit of doing everything digitally rather than using paper is that it’s easier to keep things organized. You don’t have to deal with big filing cabinets filled with documents anymore; you can find what you need in seconds with a quick search.
Get the Right Stationary
People don’t often think of stationary having a big impact on the environment but a lot of it does. Things like highlighters or ink cartridges, as we mentioned before, contain many harmful chemicals and a lot of the cheap stuff is made with non-recyclable materials. The good news is, you can get more environmentally responsible versions of most of those products and they’re not that expensive. Even if you are spending a bit more on stationary, that cost will be offset by all of the other savings that you’re making.
Cut Electricity Use
You already know that cutting your electricity use is one of the best ways to reduce your impact on the planet. Turning off computers and other devices when you’re not using them is the least you should be doing. You can make a lot more savings if you make some simple changes like swapping out the light bulbs for LED ones and trying to limit the time you spend with the heating on. Getting yourself an energy meter that records your usage is always a great idea. Most people end up using too much energy because they don’t really consider their usage. By getting an energy meter and finding out exactly how much you are using, you’ll be more inclined to make cutbacks and be more sensible about it.
Eat Responsibly
Recent research into environmental problems found that eating meat causes many carbon emissions. If you are concerned about the planet, you can make a big difference by changing your diet. That does not mean that you need to become a vegetarian, just consider cutting out meat from some of your meals.
These simple changes will make your home office more eco-friendly in no time.