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Hello Friends!
I have been researching ways to streamline my home office area and make it as environmentally friendly as possible. Here are 5 easy steps I took to make this happen:
- Purchased Used Equipment & Furniture: I donated or recycled my old PCs and switched to an entirely Mac platform. The Macbook I purchased was pre-owned so I paid about half of what I would if buying it new. I run both Windows and Mac OS X on it so I get the best of both worlds for a fraction of the cost. I also purchased a used table and chair from a local thrift store saving me money and the lives of a few trees. While I did save a ton of money what is important is I got rid of an outdated machine in a responsible way that is safe for the environment and gave new life to an old desk.
- Use Only Recycled Printer Paper: According to Bay Area Recycling.org for every 20 cases of recycled paper you buy you save 17 trees, 390 gallons of oil, 7,000 gallons of water and 4,100 kWh of energy. Enough said!
- Electronic Invoicing for Clients: Instead of sending out paper invoices each month I opt for electronic invoicing. This can be done through software products such as Peachtree Accounting or online via payment processing sites like PayPal or Google Checkout. I use Intuit Business Manager which is a free web-based invoicing solution. Furthermore, I also encourage clients and friends to be more responsible by printing only when necessary.
- Use Energy Star Products: My Macbook, printer, monitor and every other electronic product I use is Energy Star certified. These products increase energy efficiency and use less toxic materials in their manufacturing.
- Purchase Eco-friendly Office Supplies: From pencils made from post consumer materials to a stapleless stapler, all of my office supplies environmentally safe and just as durable and useful as their non-environmentally friendly counterparts.
Do you have any suggestions for a green home office? Feel free to share them!
