Make Your Company Go Green

7 ways in which you can encourage green initiatives for your company
If you think it’s not up to you to make your company start green initiatives, think again. Maybe you cannot bring in an enterprise-wide change from the word go. But you can effect some change in your immediate workspace, among your colleagues and friends. Start now.

1.Switch off monitors when not at the workstation: This saves about 75W of power, says Tufts University’s Computing Initiative.

2. Going for a training?: If you are going to be away at a workshop or training in the conference room for more than one hour, switch off your PC. Worried if your boss will not be pleased at the dark screen at your table? Tell him you are saving electricity.

3.New PC purchases: Capex time, and your boss asks you for the equipment you and your team needs. Do some research, and come up with options that save energy. Look for computer power supply units that deliver over 80% efficiency, devices with Energy Star ratings, and other devices that help in reducing power consumption. This needs exploration, and might need the help of your IT people.

4. Go easy on the printer: Before you take a print, see if you really need to do so. If you can manage without it, don’t print. You save ink and paper this way. For draft prints, use paper already printed on one side. In fact you can start a ‘Be kind to the printer’ week to make your colleagues aware of the mindless printing that might be the practice in your company.

5. Switch off lights where not required: Someone is absent today. Do you really need the light in his workspace to be left on? If switching off that light makes no difference to the surrounding environment, go ahead and do it.

6. Push for telecommuting options: While there are companies that resist the telecommuting option for their employees, it’s a good idea to start discussing the option in your team. This cuts down on travel related costs, and can bring down electricity and real estate other costs for the company in the long run.

7. Set up a green team: Collect a set of like-minded individuals and start a green initiative for the company. Set up car pools, run tree plantation campaigns, and create a ‘best practices to go green’ manual.

Source:computing.in.msn.com