3 Simple Ways to Green Up Your Small Business
Posted by Allison Semancik on Tue, Nov 03, 2009
Over the weekend, I was watching one of my favorite shows, G
et Fresh with Sara Snow on FitTV. If you haven't seen the show before, Sara Snow, a green living expert, gives tips on green topics like organic food, recycling and water conservation.
In the episode I saw on Saturday, Sara was discussing green offices. To help businesses understand how they can make small changes with big environmental impact, she visited a typical office in need of some greening up. Sara arrived with tips that can help any small business make eco-friendly changes.
Here are 3 tips she offered:
1. Recycled paper
Always buy recycled paper for printers and copiers. The production of recycled paper saves trees, water and electricity. When you purchase recycled paper, choose paper with the highest percentage of postconsumer recycled content.
2. Refill ink toner cartridges
Not only does refilling ink toner cartridges save you money, it's great for the environment. More than 350 million ink cartridges (and growing) are discarded in U.S. landfills every year, so by refilling yours, you are not contributing to the problem. Check out ink refilling programs at your local office supplies stores or look for one online.
3. Houseplants
Plants naturally clean the air and since our indoor air is often more polluted than the air outside, it's a great addition to the office. Each of the following plants can help to purify approximately 100 square feet of space:
- Gerbera Daisy
- Ficus
- Golden Pothos
- Mums
- Spider Plants
- Aloe Vera
- Chinese Evergreens
- Common English Ivy
These changes are very simple to do but really make a big impact. As more and more small businesses begin to add eco-friendly practices their offices, we'll see a difference in our environment.
Please share your ideas for simple ways to green up the office.
photo: KaCey97007