There’s no denying that COVID-19 has changed everything, including forcing us to work from home. Under the current situation, you may have to work at your home office for a long time.
When you move into a home office, implementing environmental mitigation measures is an individual’s responsibility. Working from home doesn’t mean that earth-friendly office initiatives have to disappear. If you want a greener home office, here are your green-home workplace sustainability tips you may need.
Read more: How to create a green space for your house in accordance with each location you cannot skip 2020
Brighten up your workspace
The first thing we need to mention is the light at work. You can make it green in home office lighting by choosing the space with maximum natural light or choosing the eco-friendly form of artificial light.
However, your natural lighting options will be limited if you don’t have a home in the best geographic location for natural light. If you can’t rearrange your home to maximize natural light, you can still light up your home in an eco-friendly way with energy-saving LED bulbs.
The overall cost and environmental sustainability of LED bulbs are considered to be superior to incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs. Sure, they come at a higher upfront price but you’ll save a lot of money in the long run on both energy bills and replacement costs.
Minimize use of your printer
Owning a printer, whether it’s an inkjet or a laser printer that uses ink, has an impact on the environment. The problem is that the waste is generated by ink and ink cartridges, most of them not being recycled.
Overusing the use of a printer can also waste paper, causing more trees to be cut down. The most eco-friendly option is to eliminate the use of your printer entirely if you can.
If you must use a printer, you should choose a model that is more environmentally friendly than the conventional one. Laser printers that use ink inks are great for high-volume printing needs, as they print faster and with longer supplies, helping to save more energy and reduce waste.
In contrast, ink printers are a lot cheaper. If they are only used occasionally then they are a more sustainable and affordable choice. Depending on the nature of the job, choose the right printer and do not cause waste.
For the waste cartridges, you should seek to recycle your used cartridges by returning them and should seek to purchase remanufactured cartridges. The used cartridges returned will be refilled and resold at a much cheaper price than OEM cartridges. This option is not only a better financial option but also a better one for the environment.
Manage your energy usage
There are a lot of appliances in a home office that use energy and they all consume electricity, even when not in use.
Your energy bill and environmental impact can add up quickly with an office filled with technology. So make sure you turn on energy-saving features on computers, monitors, printers, and other devices that have them. Turn off the device when not in use. Managing the heating and cooling systems in your home office will help you avoid wasting energy.
Buy old office furniture
If you’re setting up a home office, you can easily run to the nearest store to buy cheap home-assembled furniture. However, there are many environmental reasons you should not do so.
Fast furniture, like fast fashion, is causing a lot of damage to the environment as products are thrown out more often. You can find old furniture that is more sustainable. Those products can be easily found on the Facebook Marketplace, antique shopping malls, flea markets, and other sources of used products. Buying durable second-hand furniture is something of higher quality with the potential for less money and less environmental impact.
Waste restriction
It’s easy to forget all the little trash thrown away in a regular office. It could be sticky notes, tissue paper, disposable coffee cups, and much more that were thrown out without thinking.
Since you are spending more time in the home office, it’s easy to keep certain habits up leading to generating more waste. Therefore, limit your waste by using washable rags instead of paper towels. Never use bottled water or disposable cups. And eliminate packaged snacks in favor of bulk items, fruit and other minimally packed foods.
In summary
Tips for creating sustainable home offices and buying sustainable products that help save you energy and money. Your choices can make your home office greener than the one you did before COVID-19 brought us a new kind of normal.