A Green Office

A Green Office by Kristin McGinnis, MBA Masters, Sustainable Development

A Green Office – Why & How• Reality of the World• Why “Going Green” at the Office is Important• Basics of Sustainability• Ways to Make an Impact

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

How do you see the world?

Waste

Natural Resource Depletion

Pollution

Why should I care?• Your Health

• Your Surroundings

• Future Generations

Basics of Sustainability• How do your decisions

impact your body, your community, the world?

• Triple Bottom Line (3BL)

Environmental Economic Social

Ways to Make an Impact• Reduce• Recycle• Purchasing• Feel Empowered & Lead by Example

Think of the 3BL on select slides…

REDUCE: Improving Our Habits

Computer Habits Printing Habits Lunch Waste Transportation

Computer Habits

It costs a 300W system $328 per year to run 24/7

Item Watts

Typical Desktop CPU 65-250

Laptop 15-60

LCD Monitor 15-70

CRT “old school tube” Monitor 80

Michael Bluejay, Inc. (2013)

Improve Your Computer Habits

Put monitors on sleep mode when you take breaks

Turn off your computer when you leave for the day

Turn off peripherals (i.e. speakers, scanners, mice) & appliances (i.e. coffee maker) when not in use

Printing Habits

The average worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper per year

Improve Your Printing Habits

Think Before You Print

Print to PDF

If you must print, Print Double-Sided

Technologies for Viewing E-Documents

Reuse Paper for Drafts or Scratch Paper

Lunch Habits

An average of 200+ pounds of food are wasted per person per year.

What about food packaging?

Ways to Reduce Lunch Waste

Skip the Fast Food Urge…Plan Ahead

Only Pack What You Will Eat (& make sustainable food choices)

Pack Lunch in Reusable Container Instead of Baggies

Skip the Paper Plates & Plastic Utensils

Pass on Bottled Water…Use Reusable Bottle or Glass

Transportation Habits

There are 128.3M commuters in the U.S.

How do you get to and from work?

Transportation Habits

Nearly 80% of people drive alone to work.

Improve Your Transportation Habits

Carpool to Work…or to Lunch

Combine Trips & Errands

Public Transportation

Bike or Walk to Work

Telecommuting (working from home)

RECYCLE: Improving Our Habits

Paper Kitchen Items E-Waste

Recycle…Paper

Paper makes up the largest percentage of the municipal solid waste stream – yet is one of the most recoverable items to be recycled.

Recycling Tips… Paper

Ensure Paper is Discarded in Recycling Receptacles (incl. wrapping)

Recycle Newspaper & Magazines

Reuse File Folders

Save blank return envelopes that come with bills…and reuse

Recycle…Kitchen Items

Many recyclable items are sent to landfills.

Packaging, chipboard, food containers, etc.

Recycling Tips… Kitchen Items

Most Items are Recyclable….Think Instead, What is Trash?

Clean & Recycle Food Containers (i.e. yogurt)

Remember… Recycling is Only Second-Best to Reusing

Recycle…E-Waste & Other Items

At least half of the U.S.’s e-waste ends up overseas, such as China, Nigeria, or India

(Asia Society, 2013)

Recycling Tips… E-Waste & Other

Ask if Office or Building has System for E-Waste Recycling & Batteries

Recycle Printer Toners

Donate Supplies, Furniture, etc.

PURCHASING: Improving Our Habits

Paper Kitchen Items Other

Purchasing Tips…Think Green!

Recycled Paper

Pass on the Single Use Snacks & Beverages

Buy Items with Little/No-Packaging (Bulk)

Green Cleaning Supplies (incl. aerosols)

What is more GREEN than a Plant?!

Recap: How to Make an Impact• Reducing

• Computer Habits• Printing Habits• Lunch Waste• Transportation

• Recycle• Paper• Kitchen Items• E-Waste

• Purchasing

Feel Empowered & Lead by Example• Feel Empowered to Make Change• Ask Questions of Decision Makers• Others Will Follow Your Good Example• Teach & Listen• Be Creative

RememberSmall acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.

The EndQuestions?

For more info, visit…rmogreen.blogspot.com

References• Asia Society. (2013). E-Waste: Dumping on the poor. Retrieved from

http://asiasociety.org/policy/environment/climate-change-and-energy/e-waste-dumping-poor

• Aune, S.P. (2013). 25+ resources for carpooling. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2008/09/30/carpooling/

• Bowman, M. (2008). About your commute. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/marcus.bowman.slides/us-commuting-statistical-analysis

• Earth 911, Inc. (2013). Paper. Retrieved from http://earth911.com/recycling/paper/

• ETHunters. (2013). How much does it cost to run a computer 24/7? Retrieved from http://www.dslreports.com/faq/2404

• International Bottled Water Association. (2013). U.S. Consumption of Bottled Water Shows Continued Growth, Increasing 6.2 Percent in 2012; Sales up 6.7 Percent. Retrieved from http://www.bottledwater.org/us-consumption-bottled-water-shows-continued-growth-increasing-62-percent-2012-sales-67-percent

References• Michael Bluejay, Inc. (2013). How much electricity do computers use? Retrieved from

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/computers.html

• Reduce.org (n.d.). Become a paperless office. Retrieved from http://156.98.19.245/paper/

• The Water Project. (2013). Bottled Water is Wasteful. Retrieved from http://thewaterproject.org/bottled_water_wasteful.asp

• U.S. Census Bureau. (2013). Megacommuters: 600,000 in U.S. Travel 90 Minutes and 50 Miles to Work, and 10.8 Million Travel an Hour Each Way, Census Bureau Reports. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-41.html