Seven Easy Tech Tricks for Going Green at Work
By now you’ve probably heard all the basic ways to green your office. Setting up recycling bins, using energy-saving light bulbs, and fixing drippy faucets are just some of the easy ways to make your office eco-friendly. But why stop there? Here are seven creative tech tips to help you go greener at work.
- Use soy- or vegetable-based printer ink: Not only are these natural inks more environmentally friendly, they also produce brighter, more vibrant hues, improve the lifespan of your printer, make it easier to recycle paper, and are more economic in the long run.
- Ditch the antiquated fax machine: Most documents can be shared via e-mail, but if you must send a fax, save paper by using one of the many online fax services, such as eFax, FaxZero, or RapidFax.
- Avoid printing unwanted pages: Use software, such as GreenPrint, to eliminate paper and ink waste caused by printing useless pages attached to the end of e-mail or Web documents.
- Avoid printing altogether: Collaborative software, such as Google Docs, allows you to create, edit, and share documents electronically. You can also share documents back and forth on your intranet rather than dumping paper on your colleague's desk.
- Turn your computer into a green machine: Make sure your computer has ample room around it for air circulation so it will retain less heat, saving energy because the fan won't have to run as much. Turn your computer off if you are going to be away from your desk for more than 15 minutes. And use antispyware programs to stop malware, which can make your computer run for hours.
- Surf greener with an eco-conscience search engine: Ecocho, powered by Yahoo, invests 70 percent of its revenue into carbon-offset credits and plants two trees for every 1,000 searches. Several search engines, including Blackle, Earthle, Searchgreener, and Eco-Find, save monitor energy by using a black background for Google’s search engine.
- Use a green Web host: Find a Web hosting company, such as AISO, that is powered by renewable energy, or DreamHost, which purchases renewable energy credits.
For even more ideas to green your workspace, check out Energy Star’s handy online tool: Bring Your Green to Work.
