June 24, 2008

7 Tips For a Green Office

As some of you know, I'm not Mr. Green. I've never paid much attention to saving the environment or anything remotely close to it.

However, over the past several months (maybe longer) as the drum beat (in the news, etc) of being an environmental steward grows I'm slowly converting or at least seeing the importance of being a good steward.

When you think of the wonderful creation around us, that flows so naturally year after year and century after century you can't help but wonder what can I do, to do my part, to not ruin things.

The earth was created to take care of itself.

However, when millions of businesses are throwing metal and plastic in land fills, generating demand for more and more paper (which causes the cutting down of too many trees), polluting streams and more - I can't help but think what can I do to stem the tide of pollution on the Earth.

HP, Dell and Lenovo continue to produce desktops and servers that are more environmentally friendly. You can learn more about HP's efforts here.

I've asked HP to provide me us some tips and solutions to have more "Green" office. Here they are:

Buy green: Choose ENERGY STAR® qualified products, which use less energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and overall energy costs. To replace existing office equipment, many manufacturers offer trade-in programs that offer customers fair market value for their existing equipment when purchasing new technology.

Recycle: Make it easy to go green by setting up recycling bins in common areas (such as the copy room) and at individual desks. Easily drive greater reuse of aging or unwanted hardware and supplies through HP’s environmental programs and services which include one way recycling, buy back/trade-in and donation options. For more information visit:
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/index.html

Consolidate: Multifunction printers that combine printing, scanning, copying and faxing capabilities can use up to 40% less energy and materials compared to single-function products. Using a model where selective desktop, centralized workgroup and data center printing exists will reduce overall power consumption and supplies costs.

Reduce costs: Print double-sided documents whenever possible to lessen the environmental impact. Studies show that companies can save at least 25% on paper expenses by setting duplex (double-sided) printing as the default mode. Further reduce paper waste by digitally capturing documents using a scanner or multifunction printer rather than printing out copies.

Conserve resources: Reducing your office’s energy bill and conserving energy is as simple as remembering to turn off equipment when you leave a room. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, shutting down office equipment during ”off” hours can save up to 66% on power consumption. Using printing devices with fuser technology, available on HP LaserJet products with Instant-on Technology, can save up to 50% in power consumption and print a first page in just a few seconds from ready or Powersave modes.

Detoxify: Many offices have toxic substances, such as used batteries and copier toner, on hand. Talk to suppliers about alternatives to toxics, and make sure to properly dispose of the ones you can't avoid using.

Make an Impact. Creating a green office is a collective effort. Get everyone involved in eco-efforts and educated on the importance of green initiatives.

tags: environment , green , hp | 0 comments