Chris Bjorklund: You’re listening to an AllBusiness podcast. If you’re getting this through iTunes and RSS feed or an online streaming-media player, you can hear more interviews with other experts at AllBusiness.com.

Bjorklund: This podcast is part of a series called Green Money, a look at the greening of the business world with Stuart Hampton from Hoover’s

Stuart Hampton: Megan’s architecture firm focuses on sustainable design but she saw something really ironic in her company’s break room. Paper cups. If the 300 people in her office use a cup a day, she estimated that they’ve used some 75,000 cups a year. In the U.S., more than 2 million tons of paper and plastic cups and plates are tossed out each year. Spurred to action by the wastefulness, Megan found 20 like-minded co-workers and formed a new committee called Green the Office. A year after the group started, the changes are apparent. Her firm now uses mugs instead of paper cups, offers an actively used ride share program, defaults all office printers to double-sided printing settings, stocks the kitchen and bathroom with nontoxic soap and cleaning supplies, and uses scratch pads made from discarded architectural drawings. Green teams like Megan’s are popping up in offices across the country as people recognize that they need to bring their environmental awareness from the home to the office. Many have realized that while they may be vigilant about recycling at home, they are lax about such things at the office. If you feel the urge to green up your office, it doesn’t take much to get started. Some decisions each worker can make for him or herself but others may be out of your hands. If you’re trying to convince your boss to get onboard, remind them that energy bills will be less resulting in a savings in the company’s bottom line. Here are some ways to get started. Buy environmentally friendly supplies. Large office-supply chains have already jumped on the green bandwagon. Office Depot offers a Green Book Catalog with 3000 environmentally preferable products. Or shop in independent websites like greenoffice.com. Next, use recycled paper made of high percentage post-consumer waste and a minimum of chlorine bleaching. It takes less water and energy to make recycled paper than it does to make paper from virgin timber. According to the nonprofit Coop America, the average U.S. worker uses 12,000 sheets of paper each year and about 40% of municipal solid waste in the U.S. comes from paper. Office workers should post friendly notices at each printer reminding folks to think before you print. Along these lines, try storing more files digitally instead of printing them out and using more paper. Another idea is to encourage the use of office recycling centers for paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic. Or switch office light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. The bulbs cost more but will last longer, saving money and energy. And of course, turn off lights whenever you leave a room. The U.S. government estimates that artificial lighting accounts for 44% of the electric use in office buildings. Treehugger.com recommends powering down your computer when you leave for the day and using an energy-saving setting during the day. Unplug printers, copiers, scanners, and other devices that are only used occasionally. Client gifts can also go green. Instead of sending a card or a gift, you can plant a tree in a client’s name and let them know via e-mail or you can send an eco-friendly gift basket filled with fair trade certified products. If you want to start a green group at work, find some like-minded folks by posting a notice in a common area. Be sure to ask the proper supervisors for permission first. No need to do it on your own. Once your green group is up and running, try to give green updates regularly at staff meetings and send periodic e-mails to keep your actions in the public eye.

Bjorklund: Thank you for listening to this Green Money podcast with Stuart Hampton from Hoover’s.com.