Can you imagine a modern day workplace without a computer, a fax machine or an all-in-one – printer, copier and scanner? Definitely not! These excellent time-savers are potent devices that enable us to create and communicate efficiently, Don’t they?
Not to forget mentioning the inevitable water dispenser with a stack of handy disposable paper or plastic cups, the coffee vending machine with a heap of Styrofoam mugs, and that little refrigerator that stores soda pop bottles for all. Can we dream of even a day without these brain fuelling necessities? We doubt.
Going Green
You may wonder, what does all that we discussed so far, have to do with going green. Let’s further discuss and discover the deep connection.

In the 21st century, we have been blessed with the availability of a plethora of consumer articles and equipment devised to make our office life easy and pleasant. Most of these goods are not even considered a luxury anymore, but have become a necessity. However, we pay a hefty price for each of these, not merely in the form of money but more so in the form of their impact on the environment.

Ecological impacts of these essential products occur at various stages of their life cycle including:
– acquiring raw materials,
– manufacturing,
– distribution,
– usage and
– finally disposal.

If going green is on your agenda, and you are planning to create a sustainable workplace, then you must go through the following statistics that can turn out to be very decisive in the process.

What do you think happens to the discarded non-biodegradable paper, equipment and furniture used in billions of offices across the globe? These form a major chunk of waste that is cluttering landfills today. Let’s talk about these one at a time.

1. Non-recyclable Paper
Massive quantity of paper is consumed annually in offices across the world, most of which ends up as waste. It’s not only the disposal of paper that causes harm to the environment, but the process of production of paper itself is hazardous to the environment. Toxic chemicals that are discharged during the process, pollute the air and cause respiratory ailments, especially among those living in the vicinity of paper mills.
In order to create a greener office, you must enforce a policy to print only when absolutely necessary, and to print on both sides of all paper sheets. Reuse paper and encourage electronic communication in order to cut down on paper usage.

2. Office Supplies
Most modern day offices disrupt the environmental balance by using and disposing thousands of transparency films, printer and toner cartridges, clipboards, single-use writing aids and other stationery items.
A recent environmental study indicated that 1.6 million single-use pens and 15 million pounds of transparency films are used and discarded each year in the US offices alone. This Green Study further showed that recycling and reusing ink cartridges in the US offices would amount to annual savings of $1.5 billion.
Hence, as an environmentally aware business, you must focus on using multiple-use articles and reuse office products to materialise savings for your company, while favouring the environment. Also, you can contribute your bit by purchasing products that are devoid of toxic solvents, and those which can be remanufactured so as to not add further to landfills.

3. Office Furniture
The two major ecological impacts of using standard wooden furniture for your office are:
• Depletion of forest reserves and natural mineral wealth, while procuring raw materials.
• Resultant air pollution and contamination of water reservoirs due to the release of volatile compounds, while manufacturing such furniture.

You can help in reducing environmental impact by using office furniture that:
(i) adheres to standards for indoor air quality set for your state,
(ii) is made up of non-toxic components,
(iii) contains harmless adhesives, and
(iv) is created from recycled materials.
You may want to check whether the manufacturers used processes emitting limited or zero hazardous volatile organic waste.