This post is my submission to February’s APLS blog Carnival http://theaplsblog.blogspot.com/. This month’s topic is how to stay motivated about living a green life. Check Going Green Mama http://going-green-mama.blogspot.com/ on February 24 for the carnival round-up and lots of great ideas.
Recently I posted about the changes to our family’s life, which led to some changes for Greening Families http://www.greeningfamilies.com/families/thinking-about-next-steps-for-greening-families/. With the launch of my husband’s business, we have made the switch to complete self-employment, something we have been working toward for years. We are already reaping benefits in terms of flexible schedules (we both attended our daughters’ Valentine’s Day parties at school with zero guilt – amazing!) but the change has also meant longer-than-normal hours for me over the last few months as Rich’s business – and income – got off the ground.
When I am racing a deadline, I sometimes have a hard time maintaining my motivation for green habits. Since I know many others are starting or growing their own businesses these days, I wanted to share some tips to maintaining green motivation in the workplace. (I also wanted to encourage myself to keep following the green path so this article itself is a form of self-motivation!)
Ways to Green Your Home Office
1) Buy only what you need. When starting a business, it is easy to be tempted into buying items that might come in handy since you don’t know exactly what you will need yet. Hold off on making any purchase until you absolutely know you need it.
As an example, I started my business more than 10 years ago thinking that I would need a monitor stand since I spend so much time working at my computer. Money was tight so I had to get creative. And here I am, still perfectly functional all these years later without one!
<Insert photo of paper under monitor>
2) Along this same line, reuse everything possible. Along with stacks of paper serving as monitor stands, in the early days my kitchen table was my desk and an old milk carton from college was my file cabinet. I also look for ways to reuse items I receive as part of my work. Folders, pens, paper clips, and name badges all get multiple uses in my work.
3) Consider used furniture. My current desk is a beautiful solid wood desk that we found in the used section of a local furniture store for about $100. Both my husband and I also found solid wood bookcases for our offices there for equally low prices. We don’t have to breathe in the chemicals released by pressed wood, we have lovely pieces that will last our lifetime, and we saved a bunch of money.
4) Be thoughtful about your work processes. This is where I really have a tough time when stress mounts. I’m a grant writer so I pour over Requests for Proposals as I’m working with clients on grant applications. These RFPs are often long – one hundred plus pages of densely worded text is typical – and most grant applications go through multiple iterations before they are finalized so I could easily burn through lots of paper. I’ve been focusing on limiting my printing. I’m doing so by keeping more many more items electronic (thanks in part to the handy comments feature in Adobe http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/acrrfaq.html). When I do print, I double-up pages whenever possible. I then recycle everything printed once the project is complete. My daughters are big artists so they find lots of uses for used paper!
5) Utilize the Power Save options on all electronic devices. One of the downsides of working at home is that I’m responsible for paying the utility bill. I work to keep mine low by taking advantage of the Power Save options on my computer. Rich is a techie so he helped me figure out all the choices but there is a handy tool, called EZ Wizard http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_ez_wiz, that will do the same thing if you need a hand (although you won’t get your fill of Star Wars humor with the software.)
6) Utilize renewable energy where possible. One of the advantages to working at home is that I have more control over the source of the energy I am using. We switched to renewable energy as soon as it was an option in our area. These days many utility companies now give their customers the option to purchase at least some of their energy from renewable sources. Check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency http://www.dsireusa.org/ to learn about alternatives in your area.
7) Delete unused files and emails – even from the deleted folder. It takes energy to store information, even when it is in the deleted file. While it is hard to get a measure of how much energy it takes to store files and emails (see One Green Generation http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=887 and Treehugger http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/the_footprint_o_1.php for two attempts), I have (slowly) been learning that keeping only what is needed makes the work environment more pleasant so the benefits to this action go beyond energy reduction.
8) Maintain equipment so it won’t have to be replaced. A little time can save a lot of money. Helpful primers on maintaining computers and computer accessories is available here http://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-Your-Computer and here http://support.gateway.com/support/manlib/notebooks/solo1150/8507028/maintain.htm. If you utilize other forms of equipment in your business, ask how to care for them properly when you purchase them or seek out guidelines online.
9) Select office supplies carefully. When buying supplies for work, check to see if eco-friendly options are available. I’ve found paper with recycled content, pens made out of recycled plastic, and
10) Keep plants near your work space. Plants don’t only look good, they also help clean the air of toxic chemicals http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-ten-houseplants-for-cleaner-air.html. And caring for a plant has been shown to increase people’s level of happiness so you could get two benefits for the price of one.
11) Store office supplies where kids can’t reach them. OK, this one may be unique to my family but, from what I have seen of kids and Post Its, I don’t think it is. After way too many fine-tip dry erase markers were mashed into oblivion by my preschool daughters, who were used to the fat-tipped markers at school, I moved my office supplies to a location they couldn’t reach. It saved a bunch of supplies and was much less frustrating since I always knew what I had, and where it was.
12) All the stuff you do in the rest of your house. Use power strips. Clean with non-toxic cleaners http://www.greeningfamilies.com/your-home/save-money-and-the-earth-with-homemade-cleaners/. Use CFLs. Dress appropriately for the weather. You know the drill.
This post is my submission to February’s APLS Blog Carnival. This month’s topic is how to stay motivated about green living. Check Going Green Mama on February 24 for the carnival round-up and lots of great ideas to keep your motivation levels high.
Recently I posted about the changes to our family’s life, which led to some changes for Greening Families. With the launch of my husband’s business, we have made the switch to complete self-employment, something we have been working toward for years. We are already reaping benefits in terms of flexible schedules (we both attended our daughters’ Valentine’s Day parties at school with zero guilt – amazing!) but the change has also meant longer-than-normal hours for me over the last few months as Rich’s business – and income – got off the ground.
When I am racing a deadline, I sometimes have a hard time maintaining my motivation for green habits, especially the ones that take a little extra time. Since I know many others are starting or growing their own businesses these days, I wanted to share some tips to maintaining green motivation in the workplace. (I also wanted to encourage myself to keep following the green path so this article itself is a form of self-motivation!) Here are my top twelve tips for greening your home office: Read the story »
