Going green doesn’t have to be a huge corporate overhaul project. There are plenty of things you can do every day at work to inch your way to a greener environment. At home you know the rules: Don’t leave the water running when you brush your teeth, recycle, shut lights off when you leave a room…the list goes on. Keep in mind that the list should not end when you leave your house each morning for work! Read on to learn simple ways to go green in the office, too.
1. Choose Pay-Per-Click ads over print advertising campaigns – Although we do a mix of advertising at The Launch Pad, we are big Pay-Per-Click fans. Not only is it an earth friendly advertising option, it is also easy for us to manage. Once our campaigns are set up, the process is pretty much automated. We edit campaigns and make changes to our bids/budget as we see fit, but besides that we basically monitor our campaigns as they run. Google also sends daily analytic reports with pretty sweet statistics for our team to review. It’s very measurable.
2. Email your newsletter – While you’re on the Internet train, use it to send your newsletter too! The old fight of electronic vs. print is over. Although marketers will always deliberate back and forth in regards to which method is more effective three things are for certain: e-marketing is much cheaper, much easier to measure and of course, much greener!
3. Telecommute if and when possible – More and more companies are offering flex time. Not only does this save employees money on gas, childcare expenses, lunches and more, but it also helps the air we breathe stay clean. Less cars on the road = less pollution in the air. Even working from home a day of two a week makes a difference. Telecommuting not an option where you work? If you live close to the office, consider biking, walking, or carpooling.
4. Bill your clients by email – Reduce the amount of trees that need to be cut down AND your postage bill by switching to email invoices instead of snail mail. Afraid your old school clients won’t like the switch? Send out a quick letter asking if this is OK, and then use this method for your clients who are OK with the switch.
5. Invest in a water cooler – Bring back the water cooler! Those plastic water bottles that you and your coworkers buy daily end up spending years and years in a landfill. Not to mention they sneakily add up when it comes to money out of your pocket.
6. Don’t print what doesn’t need to be printed – There are many ways to document and backup files that no longer include hard copies. Of course there will always be some things that you must print and file away, but there are definitely many things that can be e-filed away for future reference. Be a little more conscious when you hit the print button, use your judgment and decide whether you really need that file printed out or not. The trees will thank you, and you’ll thank yourself on a summer day 10 years down the road when we still have trees to sit under.
Visit our Website to learn more about our VirtualGreen Office Initiatives. We offer Easy-to-Green IT Kits, resources and a free GreenIT Technology Audit to reveal your Green IQ.
For more inofamtion contact Megan Meisner, Easy-to-Green Program Services Director: mmeisner@launchpadonline.com or 813-920-0788 x210.
