An image of Falls Park. Upon it is some text that advises Live Greener: Recycle with Single Stream; all in one container. Reuse your shopping bag. Rethink printing; go double-sided or don't print. Reduce water usage. Replace bulbs with compact fluorescents.

Live Greener At Work

Water Conservation
  • Upgrade all toilets to dual-flush or low-flow. Older models use as much as 4.5 gallons per flush.
  • Conduct a water audit. Check faucets for dripping and toilets for incessant running. A leaky faucet wastes more than 20 gallons of water a day.
  • Install automatic water switches in bathrooms.
  • Install waterless urinals. Incorporating 22 waterless urinals would save 1 million gallons of water a year.
  • Set your lawn sprinklers for more days in between watering. Install an automatic rain shut-off device on your sprinkler systems. Or, best of all, plant native plants in your lawn that don’t require additional water.
  • Run break room dishwashers only when full.
  • Post signs near water faucets encouraging employees to think about water conservation.
  • Encourage cleaning crews to use less water when mopping.
Recycling
  • Buy 100% recycled content paper.
  • Post recycle bins by all printers.
  • Teach all employees how to print double-sided.
  • Make files available electronically instead.
  • Use a ceramic mug for coffee. And avoid using a stir stick by pouring in the creamer before the coffee.
  • Send the fax without a cover page.
  • Reuse paper clips. If one out of every four workers reused their paper clips, it would save more than $1 million.
  • Print online stamps instead of using a postage meter. This saves on equipment, maintenance and money.
  • Recycle ink cartridges.
  • Use reusable rags instead of paper towels.
Energy
  • Maximize day lighting and turn off lights whenever possible.
  • Turn off all computers, printers, copy and fax machines at night. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t waste extra electricity or harm the machine.
  • Use inkjet printers instead of laser (10 watts of electricity vs. 300).
  • Unplug appliances when not in use. Or use power strips that sense when an appliance is not in use.
  • Utilize sleep modes/ standby on computers, printers, etc. Turn off computer monitors when possible because they waste the most electricity.
  • Promote alternative transportation options and reward employees who participate.
  • Stock the break room with silverware and plates, not plasticware.
  • Avoid rubber bands. 75% of rubber bands are made from crude oils.
  • Keep your office at a constant temperature between 69 and 73 degrees.
  • Install motion sensor lights where possible. Otherwise, post signs near light switches reminding employees to turn them off after leaving the room.
Development
  • Use highly-reflective roof materials. This will save thousands of kilowatt-hours of energy in cooling.
  • Avoid solvents, adhesives, sealants and paints with toxic chemicals. Use brands that are water-based rather than petroleum-derived.
  • Maximize natural lighting with windows.
  • Improve indoor air quality with plants and energy-saving air filters. Open windows when possible.
  • Native landscaping reduces water needs and energy from lawn mowing.
  • Install motion sensors and dimmable controls for lighting.
  • Light-colored roofing from recycled materials will reduce heat from sun and keep your home cooler in the summer.
  • Install flooring products from rapidly renewable resources, like bamboo.
  • Outdoors, consider landscaping that will provide shade and cooling to your building: leafy trees, awnings and eaves.
  • Incorporate a fresh-air ventilation system to replace stale indoor air with fresh air from outdoors.
  • Use lumber from certified, sustainable forests.
  • Save lumber by using optimal value engineered (OVE) joists and beams, which require minimal trimming and boring.
  • Whenever possible, use local materials. This reduces transportation energy wastes.