Great Green Idea: Green Jobs: Green Living at Work

Green Living at Work

Your employer may not be "green conscious" but as your persevere to live green day by day, you can incorporate some simple techniques and tricks to allow green living to carry over to the office.

Paper Recycle Program

Just think you and the office can save the environment one piece of paper at a time. The first step in going green at the office is simple, start a paper recycling program. If you are not in the position of making decisions for the office remember to ask your boss about setting up a paper recycle system. Recycle bins don't have to large but should be placed in a general areas, like the break room, by the time clock and entrances and exits of the building. Ensure bins are well marked. A paper recycle program should be easy for employees to follow, as they will only concentrate on recycling paper and not other items. If you are put in charge of a paper recycling program, setup an incentive program for employees who recycle paper consistently each week. Providing incentives should keep the idea of paper recycling on the minds of employees. Incentives may include small gifts, gift certificates or other incentives your employer approves.

Give the Commute the Boot

The long commute to work used to be idea for professionals. With the rising prices of gasoline, bumper-to-bumper traffic and the toxic fumes smog ridden vehicles release into the air, looking at other alternatives for getting to work seem more sensible-even desirable. One way to boot the commute is to find work closer to home. When you move your place of employment closer to home you can have the option of walking or biking to work. This may not be easy, as it seems working further away from home yields higher income. One idea is to look into some freelance work from home that can eliminate the commute all together. Freelancing from home gives you the power to choose when you work and what you will work on. You may even benefit more from doing the type of work you love and contribute to healing the environment. If freelancing or moving closer to home for work isn't for you, try taking the train, bus or carpooling instead of taking the long commute. Taking the train or carpooling keeps one less vehicle from being on the road and saves gas and money as well.

Reduce Waste

You can reduce waste at work just as you would at home. For example when you bring a sack lunch, don't brown bag it, obtain a reusable lunch bag. Instead of bringing packages or bottles to work for food and drinks, use plastic containers and bottles that can be washed and reused. Even when snacking at work you can place snacks in plastic containers that can be reused many times over. Your stellar example may very well motivate the co-workers around you to be "green conscious" in the workplace as well.