Going Green at Work

Posted on June 25, 2007

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, the author of Times' Work in Progress blog, has five tips for being a green worker. They are all pretty simple to implement except maybe for the fifth step which requires you to find an alternative means of commuting to work other than your car or truck.

Turn out the lights. Lighting eats up 44% of electricity used in office buildings. We'd collectively save enormous amounts by turning out all those little desk lamps and overheads. If you sit near a window, rely on natural light.

Don't flush. No, for the love of Pete, flush--just don't use more water than you need to. Like, don't leave the water running in the sink as you chat with your colleagues about America's Got Talent. Urge your boss to install low-flow toilets.

Stop wasting office supplies. Seriously. What's the point of having a job if you can't plaster your wall with Post-Its, you ask? Think of it this way: it's not about denying your access to free stationery; it's about not being responsible for the felling of 1,000 trees. Turn your greed into guilt.

Turn off the computer. I know, I used to do it too: leave the computer running during mid-day Pilates class so the boss thinks you're still toiling away through lunch. Computers are energy monsters. Just by setting your computer to power down automatically after 15 minutes of non-use, you cut the machine's energy use by 70%. Seventy percent! That's worth a hairy eyeball from the boss, no?

Bike to work. Or take the bus. Or train. Just get out of the car.

Some people might have bosses that are not very understanding but if you can show the boss how cutting back can save money on electricity they may be more understanding. If you want more green energy saving methods there are 51 (not all office-relevant) in this article. You can read more about green workspace trends here.