How to 'Green' your Home Office

Everyone is going green these days. Not only does it make environmental sense but it makes economical sense too. For those of us who work at home, here are a few ways to 'green' your home office space.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. A great start to greening your home office is to recycle everything you bring into the office. Recycle boxes, bubble wrap, paper, and packing peanuts. If you have a business where you ship out of your home, reusing boxes, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts to ship items will save green in your wallet as well.

2. Instead of printing out research on line, writing down on a piece of paper only the information you need form the article researched will save research time as well as save on paper and printer ink.

3. Learn to compose and edit on the computer and avoid printing copy whenever possible.

4. Use both sides of paper when possible. Reuse paper for notes or for printing out information you'll be using for only a short period of time. x-out one side if necessary so you know which side is the current information that you're using.

5. Use email when possible instead of writing letters. This will not only save on paper but postage as well. It also decreases the carbon foot print of the information you're sending.

6. Get rid of the fax machine. Use attachments to emails instead.

7. Change out your old incandescent light bulbs for florescent bulbs. Better yet, turn off the light and use natural light when possible.

8. Turn off electronics when not in use. Avoid phantom electrical usage by turning off at surge protector.

9. Replace old computer screen with a new LED type. You'll save a considerable amount of electricity in the life of the new computer screen.

10. Buy your office furniture from second hand store.

11. Avoid using disposables if eating food in your office space. Eliminate plastic flatware, paper plates and Styrofoam cups from your lifestyle.

12. To really green up your home office, add plants. Not only are they beautiful and brings the outdoors inside, some plants can actually clean air of toxins.

[turtledove]

on 5/21/2009 I do all these things but one. (I'll wait until my computer screen is older before buying a new one.) 5*