How to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in the Workplace

Posted by Chad on March 10, 2008 under Workplace |

We hear the three R’s - reduce, reuse, recycle - tossed around ever day, yet it seems our society on the whole is still missing the point. Sure, we toss our bottles into the blue bins and our paper into the brown boxes, but where do the rest of our sustainable actions begin and end?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is more than a catchphrase, it’s a lifestyle. Here are twelve ways you can easily implement the three R’s into your everyday work life.

Reduce

1. Adjust Your Thermostat - Just like at home, a couple degrees here and there can save you a lot when it comes to utilities. Turning it up two degrees in the summer and down two degrees in the winter can cut 10% off your utilities bill!
2. Turn Off Computers - You can save a lot of electricity by simply turning off your computer and printer at the end of each workday. It may not always be convenient, but it can make a big difference while also lowering your electric bill.
3. Limit Driving - If you have a coworker that lives close to you, then carpooling would be a great option. Aside from that, millions of workers across North America start up their cars every lunch hour on their way to grabbing some fast food. As wonderful as the Big Mac can be, North Americans would greatly reduce their footprint on the environment by riding a bike instead of driving or packing a lunch once a week.

Reuse

1. Use Both Sides - How many times do you use one side of the paper before tossing it into the recycle bin, proud of your sustainable actions. By using both sides of the paper you’ll inevitably cut your paper use in half. If your entire office implemented an in-house policy to use both sides every time, think of all the trees you’d be saving!
2. Lunch Containers - You’ve probably heard the saying, “you are what you eat.” Have you considered how your lunch habits affect the environment? By limiting your use of paper and plastic bags and instead using reusable containers, you’ll truly be eating green. If you still want that fast food, try joining coworkers to place larger orders as it’s more efficient than many little ones.
3. Glass Half Full? - Do you reuse your empty water glass or drop it into the sink in favor of a clean one? By applying the reuse concept to your life, you’ll find many small situations where you can reuse…eventually leading to a big impact.

Recycle

1. Old Technology - If you’ve ever gone to a garbage dump, you’ll probably understand how many old computers and monitors are put to waste. If something doesn’t perform as well as you need it to, consider passing on to somebody else that could still use it. Your old computers, monitors, keyboards, mouses, printers, scanners, and copiers might still be cutting edge to your local elementary schools.
2. Printer Cartridges - Millions of printer cartridges end up in landfills each year, leading to an inexcusable amount of waste and production costs. Almost every city will have a company that specializes in printer cartridge remanufacturing, a practice that can also saving you a lot of money!
3. Use Recycled - You don’t need to stop at recycling materials, you can also make sure to purchase products that have been recycled. You can find recycled, biodegradable, or remanufactured products for almost every office supply imaginable - pens, papers, printers, computers, furniture, soap, cleaning supplies, and more.

Instead of doing what you’ve always done, I challenge you to take a week and implement as many environmental habits as you can. If you can bike to work, try it out. If you’ve thought of using both sides of the paper, do it. By actually testing it out you’ll see how easy a green lifestyle can actually be…and you’ll start to notice dozens of other ways you can reduce your ecological footprint.