Work At Home — While Going Green!

30 million people work from home for at least one day a week. And why not? It’s one of the most environmentally-friendly options for working, saving 840 million gallons of gas because there is no commuting necessary.

But even when you work from a home office, there are plenty of opportunities to go green. Here are our suggestions on how to create an environmentally conscious, even when working from home:

• Open the window in your home office: Doing this will not only save you money on electricity, but may also boost your motivation (according to various studies). Cracking a window open can also lead to less use of the air conditioner!
• Reuse home office supplies: Almost everything in your office can be used multiple times or multiple ways. Printed on a half sheet of paper? Cut the other half off and save it for a grocery or to-do list. Purchase a refillable printer ink cartridge, as opposed to one that required additional plastic production.
• Have a home office recycling bin: Find out which materials your city recycles, and make sure that the appropriate bins are in your home office. For example, it is dangerous to throw away empty ink or laser toner cartridges into regular garbage. The remaining ink and chemicals will seep into the earth and cause major environmental damage. Entering a zip code at Earth 911.com can help you find a recycling station near your home.
• Go vintage with home office decor: Buying office furniture that is vintage or gently used — instead of pricey new items — can be more beneficial to the environment than purchasing new. Purchasing small recycled office products (paper cups, printer paper, manila folders, even business cards) can also have positive benefits for the environment.
• Unplug to Save Energy: Not using your printer? Unplug it. Even if they are not in use and have been switched off, electronics use a minimal amount of energy wherever they are plugged in. This is called “vampire energy,” and it can certainly add up over time.

Working from home is already an environmentally friendly option to commuting to an office. But people who work from home have the option to go even greener: with tools like energy-efficient light bulbs, recycled paper clips, and of course remanufactured printer cartridges, it’s easier than ever to have a green home office.

Have you adapted your office to be more environmentally friendly? If so, how? Do you think more people will work from home as time goes on? Tell us in the comments!

About the authors: Andrew Yeung is president of CompAndSave, a leading online provider of premium printer ink cartridges, including remanufactured and compatible printer ink cartridges. With deals every month and a 1-year guarantee of quality, CompandSave provides an easy way for people and businesses to purchase printer ink and accessories.

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