Recyle - Reduce - Reuse

Stock up your office with supplies that contain recycled materials. Did you know that making paper from recycled materials requires 60% less energy than if made from virgin tree stock? Think about what you buy: copy paper, envelopes, notepads, folders, file folders, note pads - all of these products are available in 100% recycled content and can be found at every major office supply store. You can get recycled storage containers too.

Purchase furnishings that are crafted from FSC-certified wood. Then you can be sure the wood was grown in a sustainable manner and harvested with documentation to support their claims of being earth friendly. Do this for your shelving units as well.

Look for energy-efficient computers, printers, copiers and fax machines. Green machines come with an Energy Star rating. This is a label developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy. It identifies those products that exceed the established energy-efficient standards they have set. Since equipment like this continues to draw energy even when shut off, so long as it is plugged in, pull out the plugs when not in use or at the very least, put them in standby mode at night.

Lastly, use online specification. Catalogs put out by manufacturers become obsolete before they are sent out, making the waste horrendous. If you are in the trade, register for the Trade Only Design Library (www.todl.com) which offers thousands of products, along with environmentally friendly features. This helps to eliminate paper usage entirely.