Talking About Green

I’ve gathered a few tips together to help you buy green, when it comes to office equipment and supplies. Being green not only reduces your carbon footprint, which is kinder to our planet, but it can also save you money. Who wouldn’t want to be green, even if it was for that alone? An added bonus is that most green products are kinder to your health, than ones laden with “first manufacture” chemicals and other substances. Have you ever gone into a clothing or retail store after they unpack all of those imported jackets and dresses? Almost knocks you back, doesn’t it?

1) Energy Efficiency

Look for Energy Star decals on the equipment. This means it’s compliant with all regulations on energy efficiency and that the low-power features have been tested and approved. These won’t be sucking electricity off the grid needlessly, and costing you an arm and a leg to operate (handy, because even two-fingered typists need both arms to type).

2) Check Power Ratings

Look at them in all modes of operation — low power, sleep, off (yes, they use some electricity when plugged in but off), and in operating mode. You can compare these before you buy and save the most money and energy possible. Unplug your devices at night to save the most energy.

3) How Long To Warm Up?

If your equipment responds quickly, then less power is used. Energy used in sleep mode vs energy used to get back up to speed, has not been studied so use your best judgment and fiddle with your power settings to get the most efficiency. Look at your electricity bill each month and juggle settings!

4) Compare Modes on Equipment

Set your equipment to switch to low or sleep or off modes for as short a period of time as you can. This may take adjustment so your computer doesn’t turn off just as you sit back down at your desk after grabbing a piece of toast or something.

5) Consumables Like Paper & Ink

Making one sheet of paper uses as much energy as your printer puts out to print on it. Use both sides of your paper if you can, and print less often. Recycled paper may use around 90% less water and about 50% less energy to make, as opposed to paper made from trees. This is significant. Don’t forget to recycle your white paper. Make your scratch pads up from cut to size used office paper. Use plain paper rather than thermal if you can. Thermal contains more chemicals and most equipment these days can use plain paper. As well as printing on both side if you can, scan and copy the same way. Use longer-life drums and toner and ink. Try and use recycled toner or ink cartridges if it doesn’t void your warranties.

6) Be Aware of Refills

Before you buy a piece of equipment which needs refills to operate, consider how long they last and how expensive they are. Try and reach the lowest possible use and cost for that type of product and then you’ll save money and the environment. The standard mantra for being green applies to office equipment and supplies, as much as anything else — Recycle, Reuse and Reduce.

Whenever you go to buy a piece of equipment or supplies, just do like I try and do — think about what you are doing and try and get the product which will have the least amount of impact on our earth.

Lloyd Burrell enjoys writing reviews on office desks generally and eco friendly office desk furniture particularly. Desks with hutches, corner office desks and computer desks are some of the more popular styles.

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