Save the Planet at Work

Always a forward thinker, you went all green goddess at home (and the planet thanks you). But do you, like more than 50 percent of workers, wish your workplace was more eco-conscious? You may not be able to start an office compost heap, but there are plenty of ways to go green – and save some green!

“There is a misconception that being green costs more, when in reality the green alternative often costs the same,” says Alisa Gravitz, executive director of Green America. Of the green business leaders she’s encountered, she says 60 percent have been women, “who are more holistic in their thinking, which is a smarter way to do business.”

Check out these eco-friendly office products:

A company with 5,000 employees that double-side prints 10 percent of their copies could save up to $260,000 annually. Even better, consider a multi-function printer, which conserves space and energy and can require employees to manually verify a job before printing, reducing forgotten print outs.

Purchasing remanufactured cartridges can cut cartridge costs by 30 to 50 percent. Or save up to 75 percent of a new cartridge’s cost by refilling your old one.

Stocking up on eco-friendly office supplies means buying less (they last longer and are usually reusable). We like Goodkind’s biodegradable, wooden pens; Naked Binder’s colorful, 100 percent recyclable binders; and these nontoxic, refillable and recyclable AusPen Markers.

Redecorating? We like eco-modular furniture made from 99 percent recycled paper from Way Basics Furniture.

Bonus PINK Link: Are your business decisions taking the planet into account? Here’s how to increase your maximum diversity.

“There is hope if people will begin to awaken that … heartfelt knowledge that
we are caretakers of this planet.” Brooke Medicine Eagle