Top Tips for your Office

There are many ways that you can reduce your environmental impact by making small changes in your day-to-day work routine. Here are our top tips for a greener office.

Save energy

Walk - don't take the lift. Lifts use an awful lot of power moving us up and down. Why not walk up or down the stairs instead - get fit while saving energy consumption (lose kilos, save joules).

Turn your lights off - in your room and your department if they are not needed - eg for safety. Modern lights do not need a lot of energy to turn on. The idea that it uses more electricity to turn lights off/on as against leaving them on is false. Even if you are leaving your room for 10 minutes it is still worth turning the lights off.

Don't turn your lights on. If your room is light enough, consider whether you need the over-head lights on at all.

Switch off your mobile phone charger when finished charging? If you don't it will keep drawing almost as much energy as when charging and you will generate 35-70 kg of avoidable CO2 each year. In fact 95% of the energy used by mobile phone chargers in the UK is wasted energy.

Make sure energy saving features on PCs, printers and photocopiers are enabled.

Switch off your monitor when not in use. Even if only for 10 mins. Some monitors use twice the energy of the rest of the computer.

Turn off your computer at the plug when you leave for the night - also any other equipment that goes into stand-by mode when not in use.

Ask Estates to change the thermostat on the heating or air-conditioning in your office.

Use blinds to reduce solar gain in summer and save on air conditioning costs.

Don’t fill the kettle to make a single cup of coffee.

Save paper and toner

Measure how much you use and how much you waste!
Keep track of the number of copies you make. Use the counter on your machine to work out just how much paper is being used. Prepare to be surprised!

Calculate the weight and volume of paper used in your office each year and let your colleagues know how much they use.

Print Preview. Always click on print preview before printing to check your document for typos etc. Avoid having to print twice! In any Microsoft Office application select 'File - Print Preview'. Conduct a print preview, to make sure efficient paragraphing and pages are correct. Choose the correct font size for your printing, and use the function 'shrink to fit' to use the paper adequately. Always check on screen for errors before you print.

Print or photocopy on both sides of the paper. Set the default settings on your printer driver to double-sided.

Tailor the size of paper to the length of your message.

Avoid making multiple copies of large documents with summary pages, PowerPoint presentations, online documentation and email.

Read documents on your computer rather than printing them - when feasible.

Update mailing address lists - delete any that are out of date.

Reduce the use of fax cover sheets - details are usually in the letter itself.

Print section/department business cards rather than individual cards that may only be wasted.

For draft documents - use scrap paper already printed only on one side. Make sure it's flat and doesn't have staples, paper clips, or notes stuck to it though!

Use scrap paper printed only on one side for taking notes instead of new sheets.

Draft quality printouts use less toner. Select 'draft' printouts when using the 'Print' command on your computer – this is usually changed under Printer Options on the Windows Print Dialog box. You can even set your printer to make draft prints by default.

Share stationary

Encourage staff to share and circulate copies of reports rather than issuing separate copies.

Share staplers, hole punches etc. rather than owning one each.

Share envelopes and parcel packaging with reuse labels.

Use refill pens and tape dispensers.

Recycle

Buy recycled paper and paper based products.

Use the College re-cycling bins. There are blue paper recycling bins in shared offices - ask how you can share in that scheme if you don't have one.

Printer/Toner cartridges. Take your old ones to theGeneral Office/Post Room for re-cycling

Return to sender. Ask suppliers to take unwanted packaging back for reuse.

Reuse envelopes and look for design features that support reuse - for example resealable envelopes, or space for multiple addresses.

Save any tins or glass bottles you use at work - and put them in the recycling banks next to ULU on your way home or make a trip there at lunchtime etc.

Use a mug or biodegradable paper cups for your tea/coffee/drinks instead of plastic cups.

Car-share with a colleague or friend if it's possible or walk, bike, bus or tube to and from work.

Pass on the green message

Encourage your colleagues to go green in the office.

Share ideas and keep improving - while greening your office you might find better ways of reducing waste, water or energy – share your ideas with others - tell 'College Green'.