One of the most valuable lessons I learned growing up in Australia is how valuable our resources are. In a small country like Oz, there is respect for the land, respect for the farmers who for decades made their living off the land, respect for a country that created wealth from natural resources, and respect for the land to ensure it was there for future generations. As I grew older, I saw this evidenced through practical activities such as recycling, water preservation (Australia is currently experiencing its worst drought in 100 years), planting trees for soil erosion, and many communities choosing to reduce plastic bags.
I’ve noticed lately that being ‘green’ is a ‘hot topic’ of conversation, movies, magazine reports, advertising and education. I think that’s great! I think the more we talk about this with our colleagues and our communities, the more impact we can have.
What does this have to do with productivity you ask? Really simple, if we enjoy our surroundings (whether at work or at home) we will use less energy and focus more time and attention on the things that matter most. Here are some simple ways you can increase your green productivity and reduce your footprint at home and work.
At work
To turn off – Remember before leaving your office to turn off everything that requires power, that is, your printer, photocopier, computer and lights. This will also have the added benefit of lowering your electricity bill.
stop printing – encourage your team to ask questions every time they press the print button – do you really need to print all those documents, emails, reports? Can you view documents online or print one for a meeting reference instead of a copy for everyone? Think of smart ways to report without wasting more paper.
Choose recycled paper – the quality of recycled paper is now high and it is suitable for many projects. Instead of throwing away printed paper, ask yourself if you can reuse it for internal use.
Use long-life bulbs – Can you replace your current bulbs with longer lasting bulbs? Ask your office manager or office service to use greener items for your office.
Place recycling bins on each floor – Organize these for paper, plastic, and aluminum. You can place recycling bins in the dining room and also paper recycling bins in the mail room and on the floor. Encourage everyone to do their part.
cup of coffee BYO – instead of buying a new paper or styrofoam cup at your local coffee shop, grab your own coffee cup and have them refill it for you. If we all did this, we would remove a lot of waste from landfills.
Offer paperless to your customers – many companies have realized the cost and environmental impact of sending thousands of sheets of paper to their customers. Can you offer a paperless alternative? Smith Barney has gone a step further and for every customer who goes paperless, they donate funds to ERTHNXT.
Use rechargeable batteries – this simple act will prevent dangerous lead batteries from ending up in our landfill.
offer flexibility – Can your team work remotely? Can you share work? Can you travel outside of peak hours? If you can allow for teleworking and flexibility, this also has a huge environmental impact.
At home
Use environmentally friendly cleaners – there are so many chemicals in our homes that are not safe for our children and our pets. Choose a product that is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
Go paperless – change your status with major utility companies and your telecommunications providers and request that your statements and invoices be emailed to you instead of posting them. This small step has a big impact. Reduce the use of paper, electricity, fuel and labor.
Drop out – remove yourself from mailing lists, newspapers, magazines and articles you don’t read.
Buy a refillable water bottle – while bottled water is a healthier alternative to sodas and some juices, it also creates a lot of waste in our landfill as every bottle is used and thrown away. Find a non-toxic refillable water bottle that you can take with you. Buy one for your car, your office and your gym bag.
Compost – just like you recycle paper and plastic; Consider composting grass clippings, vegetable peelings, old flowers, and leaves.
Choose plants with a variety of purposes – Choose plants that can support bird life, create a visiting place for butterflies, and provide flowers.
drink tap water – in restaurants and cafeterias, ask for tap water instead of bottled water. It’s okay to drink and you’ll save on landfills, manufacturing, not to mention fuel transporting it across the country. It’s an easy choice to make.
Test your home for lead – If you have an old house, ask for an expert test for lead. This simple act is also a great protection for your children from lead poisoning from old-style paint and windows.
Eliminate air fresheners – those accessories and other air freshener products are full of chemicals and are not necessary in your home. Make your home healthier by eliminating them and replacing them with soy candles or pump bottle air fresheners made from non-toxic products.
recycle – Ask your garbage company to provide you with recycling containers. Yes, it costs more, but it’s a great way to make a difference in your home and model the value of this daily habit to your children.
buy organic – whenever possible, choose products that have been grown naturally, without chemicals and with more awareness of the natural breeding and living conditions of the animals.
buy local – Get to know your local Farmers Market and produce stores. If we all shop more locally, we support our communities and avoid those huge tractor-trailers sitting on highways burning fuel and doing more damage. It’s fun to spend a Saturday morning researching what local farmers have grown that tastes 10,000% better than something picked green and left to ripen in cold rooms and on trucks.
Select your supermarket – Many major supermarkets are choosing to support their local farmers and produce, for example, Wholefoods and Wegmans in the US and Coles in Australia. Choose to support these supermarket chains. Look for an organic line of items at your local grocery store.
stay no to plastic bags – invest in some cloth bags and take them with you to the store. Leave them in your car so you remember to take them to the store. Say no to all plastic bags, they don’t break down and cause damage to our landfill, our oceans, and our wildlife.
There are so many ways you can help our environment, but by making small daily decisions. While this list is not exhaustive, there are many excellent websites and books dedicated to this topic. Visit your local bookstore for more resources. Consult the following books and websites:
Green Living: The E Magazine Manual for Living Lightly on Earth