August 31st, 2008

Labor Day Tips for Greening Your Office

Posted by Cassie Walker

Mercifully, Labor Day is all about taking a day off to enjoy the last fruits of summer. As you return from the long weekend, are you wondering how you can make your office a greener place, especially now that you’ll be there every weekday until Thanksgiving? (We’re so sorry to point that out.)

Hopefully you’ve seen our article 10 Ways to Green Your Office. Recycling? Check. CFLs? Check. Programmable thermostat? Check. But there is more that you can do to lessen your impact on the environment.

Let’s start at the beginning of a typical day…

On the road…again

Many, many people drive to work, by themselves, each and every day. You know it’s true – you see them on the freeway next to you. Consider this: on average, passenger and light-duty vehicles in the US weigh around 4,000 pounds. The average American woman weighs 163 lbs., and the average man, 190 lbs. That means that we’re using a whole lotta gas to move more than 3,800 lbs. of car around on the freeway!

There are more environmentally-friendly (and often less expensive) ways to face the daily commute.

The best, of course, is biking or walking, which cause virtually no carbon emissions and give you some exercise. Plan a Bike to Work Day for you and your colleagues. Schedule it for a Friday, since those days are usually more relaxed in both dress and attitude. Map out a safe route, take a clean shirt, strap on that helmet, and see how it goes.

If walking or biking just isn’t in the cards, consider taking a bus or train to work. Using mass transit is much more fuel efficient than driving – up to 15 times more efficient, in the case of trains - and gives you time to read the paper, do the crossword, or finish some work. If you’re unfamiliar with the system in your area, get some maps online, ask a savvier coworker for tips, or organize a “buddy-system” for the office.

Some areas aren’t conducive to these modes of transportation, so car transportation may be the only option. If this is the case, consider carpooling. This time-honored method of getting to work has gone 21st century, with websites like GoLoco.org set up to connect people looking to save money, use the HOV lanes, and reduce their impact on the environment. Or go old-school, and start a sign-up sheet. How easy is that?

Need…coffee…now

Now that you’re at work, what’s next? Well, if you’re like us, it’s time for a little caffeinated heaven to grease the wheels. When your delivery system of choice is coffee, choose an organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown variety. Fair Trade practices support local farmers by providing a fair price for their product, allowing them to pursue ecologically- and socially-friendly farming methods. Choosing organic and shade-grown varieties reduces the number of pesticides used in growing.

In addition to the coffee that you choose, consider other steps, like using a reusable mug.  Check out our post on being an eco-conscious coffee consumer for more tips to further green your morning java.

Work it, girl

Now that you’ve had your cup of Joe, fire up that computer (because you powered down the night before, right?) and get to work. If that includes planning a little business travel for a meeting or company event, there are many options to help you green it up.

First, don’t go! Just kidding…sort of. Travel is very hard on the environment, with air travel leading the list. Planes, particularly on short-haul flights, use a large amount of fuel, much of which is emitted at high altitudes where it has more of an effect on climate change. For meetings, consider whether it’s really essential to be face-to-face. Look into inexpensive online meeting services, or consider investing in video conferencing.

If you must travel, try to book direct flights, which avoid the heavy expenditure of fuel needed for multiple take-offs and landings. Or even better, take a bus or the train, if possible. Make it company policy to only rent hybrids or compact cars. Stay in eco-friendly hotels. And don’t forget to offset your carbon emissions.

If you’re the lucky soul who plans events for your company, like an annual meeting or Holiday Party, there are many ways to make it green.  A few tips:

   +  Choose venues with green policies for recycling, composting, etc.
   +  Require caterers to use only reusable plates, cups and silverware
   +  Ditch the cut flowers, opting instead for live plants. Flowers are often flown in from developing countries with lax environmental standards, and may be laden with chemicals
   +  Ask every vendor about green alternatives – most industries now have more environmentally-friendly options available

All of these things will make your event memorable for the right reasons.

You give me fever

You’ve now been at work for a few hours and may be starting to feel a little be crummy…a case of the Mondays? Maybe. But if you often experience a headache, sore throat, or nasal symptoms at work, it might mean that your office’s air quality is to blame.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) may be the cause. Usually resulting from a lack of proper ventilation combined with the barrage of chemicals found in most offices, SBS causes physical symptoms that dissipate soon after leaving the building.

Regardless of whether your office suffers specifically from SBS, every office can benefit from a reduction of chemicals.  Look for low- or no-VOC paints, stains, eco-friendly flooring and carpets, and green furniture. Replace cleaning chemicals with healthier non-toxic cleaners.  Use natural or less-toxic pest control methods.  Maintain indoor plants, which work to clean the air.  Open a window.  All of these things will improve the quality of the air that you breathe, and may help you to feel better, to boot.

Look at that, time for lunch!