How to Be Green in 2014

Looking for Ways to Be Green in 2014? We’ve Got You Covered!

A new year means a fresh start to going green, or a time to take stock of your current green goals and initiatives and reevaluate your plans for 2014. Whether you’re new to going green or if you are trying to up the green factor either at work or at home, here are some ideas to help you hit your goals and help the environment.

Here are 8 Ways to Be Greener in 2014

1. Manage Your Resources – Shut off lights when no one is using the conference room and make sure the TV is off if no one is watching it to minimize how much electricity you use. Set computers to sleep mode and plug electronics into a power strip which can be turned off when the items are not needed. Reducing how much electricity you use does not mean you need to go without, it simply means you only use electricity when you need it and you do not drain this resource when it is unnecessary.  You will be surprised at just how much this simple step will save energy and money.
2. Offset Your Environmental Impact – We all seem to need to use resources like electricity and petroleum based products in today’s world right? Creating a carbon footprint is inevitable, but you can use a resource like Native Energy to assess your carbon footprint and your gas pollution and from there ,Native Energy can provide carbon offsets and renewable energy credits. Offsets and credits allow you to take responsibility for your environmental impact.
3. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – Take a hard look at the resources you use and look for ways to reduce: only print documents at work that you really need to have as a hard copy, and whenever possible swap out for eco alternatives. Reuse and re-purpose items, and make sure to recycle and dispose of items in a responsible manner.
4. Look for Alternate Methods of Transportation – Check out public transportation schedules to see if maybe you can catch a bus or train to work. Even if you take public transportation a couple days a week that can really add up. If public transportation doesn’t work for your schedule, look into carpooling to work with a coworker. When running errands try to combine trips to reduce your fossil fuel consumption and when it is time for that new car or fleet of cars for your business, make an eco-friendly choice.
5. Manage Your Water Use – Whether you are landscaping your yard at home or selecting plants for your office, try to get plants that are drought resistant because obviously the less water you can use the better. Instead of buying bottled water, invest in a filtration system and some reusable water bottles. There are a lot of filtration options out there from large systems that attach to the water hookup, to filters built in to the water dispenser on a refrigerator, to a basic pitcher that can clean drinking water. Depending on the option you go with the start up cost may set you back, but over time the overall expense will be less than continually buying disposable bottled water and you will use a lot fewer single use plastic bottles.
6. Whenever Possible Try to Use Food Sourced Locally – When stocking up on groceries at home ,try to buy locally produced products. It’s always nice to support your local economy, but local items don’t need to travel as far to get to you, so fewer resources are burned to get the items to you and this makes them greener.
7. Green Your Cleaning – Most cleaning products are petroleum-based, toxic and not biodegradable and as a result they can have at best questionable health and environmental impacts. Green cleaning products have a reputation for not being as effective as traditional cleaning products, but this is not warranted. Look for cleaning products that are made from renewable resources, or if you hire a cleaning service check for a green-minded company.
8. Create a Reusable Bag for Marketing Your Brand – Reusable products are inherently green because they do away with the need for disposable products. Selecting green materials like cotton, jute, bamboo or even recycled fabrics further up the greenness of a reusable bag while also eliminating the need for single use plastic bags and the negative environmental impact of these items. When you market your brand with a reusable bag you help your company and your customers go green while securing a great return on your investment, as well as increasing your brand recognition.

It’s the Little Things that Green Your Life

There are so many things you can do to go green, and remember that even small changes can have a big impact over time. Simply working in green changes into your day-to-day routine from how you manage the resources you use from drinking water to electricity and even to the way you market your brand can help the planet and your bottom line both at work and in your personal life.

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for going green either at work or home? If so, let us know in the comments!

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