When at home, you likely recycle newspapers, cans, and bottles; turn off lights when you leave a room; and turn your thermostat down at night and when you’re gone for the day.

But are you carrying these energy-, resource-, and money-saving behaviors over to your workplace?

If not, it’s time to make your workplace greener in as many areas as you can. Doing so in the following ways will benefit the planet and your company’s bottom line.

• Cut energy waste. To cut waste, set your computer to go to sleep automatically when it hasn’t been used for five minutes or so. This can cut your computer’s energy use by 70 percent.

  Use the energy settings for computers, copiers, and other machines, and shut them down when you leave for the day. Keep desktop scanners and other peripherals you use only occasionally unplugged until they’re needed.

• Print responsibly. The average American office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year. To reduce your paper use, print on both sides and use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid printing in color and print in draft mode when possible.

  Before making a paper copy, consider whether you could read or store the information online. Review documents on-screen rather than printing them. Send e-mails instead of letters.

• Lighten up. Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity used in office buildings. Turn off the lights when you’re leaving a room for 15 minutes or more.
• Recycle what you can, including office paper, envelopes, catalogs, newsletters, magazines, junk mail, soda cans, and plastic and glass bottles. If your company doesn’t have a recycling program, start one.
• Conserve paper products. Instead of using disposables, bring your own utensils, coffee mug, glass, and plate from home.
• Evaluate your commute. Consider alternatives to driving alone, such as setting up a carpool, riding a bike, or taking public transportation.
• Encourage your company to:
  • Invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers—and recycle old equipment properly. Donate working computers to schools, charities, and nonprofit organizations.
  • Buy recycled printer paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content and a minimum of chlorine bleaching. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones.
  • Post employee manuals and newsletters online, rather than printing paper copies.

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