Many of us end up printing out documents, presentations, or what have you, only to have to reprint them again. This in itself is wasting paper and costing you or your company money. Why not turn those printouts into scrap pads. Take a stack of paper and cut it into quarters. You’ve not got a stack of scrap paper to jot notes on. But be careful. If what you’ve got up has sensitive information on it, this could pose a problem if they just get thrown in the trash. That’s why it’s best to either shred or burn them. Just another quick and easy way to help the planet and your wallet.
If you’re part of the corporate world, or any bigger business for that matter, you know that you’re told to leave your computer on all of the time. This is to allow your company’s IT department to push updates to your computer as necessary. In reality, how often does a business do this. I’m pretty certain that it’s not terribly often.
If updates are done at regular intervals, having people leave their computers on once a week for example would be more than sufficient and would dramatically reduce the use of energy and in turn, save the company a boatload of money. But, at times, the company must push important fixes to computers and trying to coordinate this with thousands of employees would be a nightmare. So what else is there?
Wake On Lan (WoL). It’s a feature that is built into almost all motherboards built after 2002. In short, it allows your computer to hibernate, and wake up when it receives a Magic Packet telling it to turn back on. So I propose using something like WoL. The IT department can set all computers to turn off after say 45 minutes of non-use and then wake up when updates need to be implemented, thus saving millions for the company. Not only does this save money, but it also saves the use of fossil fuels which are becoming more scarce every day. A little change like this can go a long way in my opinion.
Have your own idea on how to reduce energy? I’d love to hear it.
I’ve written before about reducing non-biodegradable waste but I’ve got another few suggestions that can help to reduce the amount of trash that sits in landfills.
1. First, let me say that recycling is great but you can make even more of a difference by purchasing products made from recycled materials. By doing so, you reduce the amount of raw materials consumed and in turn help the planet.
2. Use reusable containers if you pack your own lunch for work. I’m no expert but I know that those plastic sandwhich baggies can add up quick in the ground so opt for something you can washout and reuse. If you do use the baggies, a quick rinse and dry is an easy way to cut consumption. It’ll save you money too.
3. When using a public restroom, use less paper from the paper towel dispenser. This is easy. If you’d normally press the lever 5 times, just try 4. I’ve recently done this and haven’t noticed any difference when drying my hands.
These are just a few things I’ve done recently in an effort to help. I hope you too can join in.
Remember it’s the little things that add up to help us all.
There are a couple of simple things you can do to reduce water waste in your household. When brushing your teeth, turn the water off while brushing. There’s no need to have it running. The same goes for shaving. Rather than having running water to rinse your razor. Fill a small container with water and shake the razor under the water. Don’t forget to use low-flow aerator faucet and shower heads in your home as this will drastically reduce water usage. These are just a few water saving tips that will also help to reduce utility bills for your household.
Many people enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea. The majority of which stop at one of the more popular fast food chains and purchase it there. Many of these chains use styrofoam cups as they retain heat extremely well. At least point, I don’t think anyone is blind to damage this type of material can cause the environment. So here’s an easy alternative, purchase a travel mug and make yourself an extra cup for the ride into work. Not only will you be saving a large sum of money, approximately $500 per year, but you’ll be helping the environment too.
Or there’s the second option. Leave yourself an extra five to seven minutes of travel time every day. Go into your favorite chain coffee store and purchase one of their travel mugs. Most have a refill plan in which they’ll refill your mug for a discounted price.
So please, choose one of these options and help reduce unnecessary waste. Mother Earth will thank you for it.
Remember, a lot of little changes add up to make something huge.