Go Green With Office Organizing Strategies
Earth Day is this month, and it’s a great time to remind yourself and your colleagues how important it is to take care of the environment. This isn’t just something to do at home – eliminating waste, composting, changing light bulbs, etc. These are all important tasks, but there are also important things we can do at work to go green and conserve our planet. Your NYC Professional Office Organizer shares some ideas to get you started.
Reduce (or eliminate) paper use. Are you ready to go paperless? Whether you are ready to take the leap or even just a few small steps, there are easy ways to use less paper at work. Don’t print out every single email, and when you do need to print something, use both sides of the paper. Share files digitally with coworkers, and store receipts in a computer file. Make sure to follow your local guidelines – if you are in NYC, there are very specific guidelines for sorting paper from plastic and from trash. Make sure to have separate trash pails set up.
Make it easy to recycle in the office. We all know recycling is important, and people who aren’t already in the habit of recycling usually don’t do so just because it isn’t convenient. You can change that simply by making it easy in your office! Add a box under your desk or inside the copy room where extra papers can be placed for recycling. Do on-site shredding for those documents with personal information. If there are times that large amounts of paper need to be shredded, avoid collecting boxes of paper that no one will have time to shred, just adding more clutter to your space. Instead, it is more efficient to call in a mobile shredding truck to handle your needs.
Donate what you don’t need. Take a good hard look at your workspace. Maybe you have a closet full of trade show supplies that you just aren’t using anymore, or old computer monitors and keyboards that your office has upgraded. Don’t let items you won’t be using take up valuable space in your office. But don’t head straight to the garbage can, instead take a look at organizations in your community that are accepting donations.
Use electricity wisely. Remember your parents yelling at you to shut off your bedroom light when you left for school? They had the right idea! Make it a habit to shut off your office light, desk lamp, and shut down your computer at the end of the day. If your office includes a window, move your desk around and take advantage of using the natural light. Not only is it good for the environment, but it’s good for your mood and productivity, too.
What office organizing strategies are you implementing to go green in your office? For more hands on support and office organizing, reach out to your NYC Professional Office Organizer today.