We’ve come up with some tips and tricks on what you can do to save the planet from your office. Or, at least help your workplace save money and reduce waste. You may not realize it, but it’s the little things that you can do that will make a difference.

Reduce Cost and Waste With These Green Printing Tips

• Always try to use both sides of the paper when printing documents intended for internal use. Ask your IT department for help in making this your default setting and manually select the single-sided printout option when necessary.
• When printing out Web page content, copy the text into a word document and make the font smaller to cut down the number of sheets you use. This way, you won’t be wasting ink on unnecessary background images and ads.
• Black and white printing uses a lot less energy and ink, and far fewer chemicals. Printing in grayscale is always a more economical choice when using a printer that is equipped with a separate black toner cartridge.
• When planning a meeting, send the agenda by email. Ask participants to refrain from printing because you can always project a copy of the agenda on screen during the meeting.
• Talk to your partners, suppliers and clients and indicate that you prefer to receive all invoices or other documents by email (in PDF) rather than by mail.

Easy Ways to Save Money on Workplace Energy Bills

• Turn off lights when they are not in use, and install sensors in offices and conference rooms.
• Turn off technology and appliances at night and enable standby or sleep mode on computers, copiers and printers to reduce energy consumption when not being used.
• Reduce heating and cooling costs by adjusting thermostats in unused rooms, especially during off hours. Make sure windows are sealed properly to maximize the efficiency of heating and cooling systems.

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse; Captain Planet Would Approve

• Recycle glass, plastic, metal cans, white paper and mixed paper as you do at home.
• Reuse packing material whenever possible and look for ways to reduce its use when you send products to customers.
• Try to purchase your supplies in bulk; it reduces the large amounts of waste that come from excessive packaging.
• Reuse envelopes for distributing internal mail.
• Reduce paper use by going electronic. Why send a fax when you can email a PDF? Reuse paper when possible, even as scrap paper.

By operating within a green work environment, you are not only doing your part in saving the planet, you are also saving money and cutting costs. Who doesn’t like saving money? Green concepts are synonymous with saving money because they rely heavily on the reuse of products and cutting waste in your business. Eliminating unnecessary waste, saving power and energy, and recycling all contribute to improving the company’s bottom line.

If you can take small steps to save the environment, you’re going to find that the benefits build up pretty quickly. Caring for the environment in your office isn’t something that should be hard, so make sure you enjoy it too!