While green practices at home are becoming increasingly common, many who are concerned with the environment check green practices at the door when they walk into the office.  Here are a few tips on how you can help the environment - while also helping your company's bottom line.

• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Turn off your monitor. Simply turning off the monitor when not in use reduces the energy required by your computer by about two-thirds.
• Plug all electronics into a power strip and switch it off before leaving the office for the day.
• Set your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks. This can cut energy use by 70%.
• Use a refillable bottle or mug instead of a disposable cup for water and coffee at the office.
• Unplug chargers when not in use. Mobile phone and Blackberry chargers continue to charge even when not connected to the device, using up to 95% of the power they use when the device is plugged in.
• Be a responsible printer. Much of office printing is unnecessary and a waste of energy and paper resources. Think before you print by considering whether you really need a hard copy. When you do have to print, print only the pages you need, or paste the relevant sections into a Word document and print that instead of the entire document.
• Recycle in the office, especially with paper. Place recycling bins near faxes and copiers. Paper with printing on only one side can be used again as scratch or memo pad paper.
• Re-use file folders by placing a new label over the old one.
• Save and reuse packaging materials.
• Share a ride to work. You’ll enjoy the added bonus of saving gas money!
• Program the fax machine so that it does not automatically print out a confirmation report for every fax.
• Buy recycled paper.
• Use certified compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) instead of halogen or incandescent bulbs. These use 75% less energy, last 10 times longer and produce less heat than other bulbs.
• Use Energy Star copiers, fax machines, computers, etc.
• Use a fax modem (electronic fax) instead of a regular fax machine.
• Use refillable ink cartridges and recycle old ones.