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?
