How to Be Green in the Office

I just recently graduated from college, and by recently I mean this past May. Anyway, in order for me to have received my Bachelors in Arts with a concentration in English Literature I had to write a 30 page thesis on none other than John Milton. I will fight the urge to tell you what a genius this man is and resist going into the philosophical inner workings of his writing. Instead I will tell you what John Milton's Paradise Losthas to do with being green.

You may be asking what a poem about Adam and Eve could possibly have to do with the green movement. Well, on the literal level nothing, unless of course you count man as being portrayed in perfect harmony with nature. However, when you are writing 30 pages on a very complex work of art you find yourself printing draft after draft after seemingly never ending draft. Before you know it a quarter of the Amazon Rainforest is sitting on your desk in paper. This not only wasteful it's also expensive.

The same thing happens everyday in the office setting. People constantly waste money and resources in order to get through the work day. Well, I'm here to tell you its not necessary. Below you will find some tips on being green in the office and at school.

Paper: When you are about to print something ask yourself, "Do I really need a hard copy?" Most of the time the answer is no. Instead, get in the habit of editing documents on the computer. If it becomes absolutely impertinent to print a draft, then do so on recycled paper.

Many times, printer and fax paper can be used more than once. With the exception of formal documents, you can use both sides of the paper before trashing it. Leftover paper can be turned into scrap paper and used for anything from notes to fax cover sheets.

General Office Items: Most things that are found in an office can be reused several times. This includes anything from binders to shipping supplies like boxes. You can even shred old used paper and use it for packing.

The Breakroom: This is one of my favorite tips because my room mates and I did it all the time in college. Instead of constantly using paper plates, plastic cups, plastic kitchenware, ect. ask everyone to donate old kitchen essentials. This way you cut the cost on breakroom supplies and it allows a more homey environment.

Coffee: If you are anything like me, you need an IV drip for caffeine in the morning. I'm going to assume that the same applies for offices around the world. Instead of constantly buying separate packs of coffee, buy it in bulk and keep it in a container.

If everyone follows these simple tips and tricks, you will be cutting costs in the office in no time!