Tips to an Environmentally Friendly Business

1. Turn off equipment when it's not being used. This can reduce the energy used by 25 percent; turning off the computers at the end of the day can save an additional 50 percent.

2. Encourage communications by email, and read email messages onscreen to determine whether it's necessary to print them. If it's not, don't!

3. Reduce fax-related paper waste by using a fax-modem and by using a fax cover sheet only when necessary. Fax-modems allow documents to be sent directly from a computer, without requiring a printed hard copy.

4. Produce double-sided documents, Implement paper-reducing strategies such as double-sided printing and reusing paper.

5. Do not leave taps dripping; always close them tightly after use. (One drop wasted per second wastes 10,000 litres per year.)

6. Install displacement toilet dams in toilet reservoirs. Placing one or two plastic containers filled with stones [not bricks] in the toilet's reservoir will displace about 4 litres of water per flush - a huge reduction of water use over the course of a year.

7. Find a supply of paper with maximum available recycled content.

8. Choose suppliers who take back packaging for reuse.

9. Instigate an ongoing search for "greener" products and services in the local community. The further your supplies or service providers have to travel, the more energy will be used to get them to you.

10. Before deciding whether you need to purchase new office furniture, see if your existing office furniture can be refurbished. It's less expensive than buying new and better for the environment.

Office Equipment

Buy ENERGY STAR PCs, monitors, printers, fax machines, and copiers. If appropriate, use laptop computers -- they consume 90% less energy than standard desktop computers. If appropriate, use ink-jet printers -- they consume 90% less energy than laser printers. Purchase appropriately sized copiers for your company's needs.

Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling

As at home, lower the thermostat to 68 degrees or less. You can save five percent on heating bills for every one degree you lower your thermostat. For optimal energy savings, set thermostats at 78 degrees F for cooling in the summer and 68 degrees F for heating in the winter. Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed, and make they are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes. Replace furnace filters once a month. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Keep your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted.