The early spring often turns our thoughts to impatient dreams of summer, as we wait for the world outside our windows to turn from white to green. Occupied with such pleasant daydreams, it’s easy to forget about the many ways that we can turn the world inside our offices from white (or beige) to green—at least figuratively.
Many printers are put off of environmental initiatives because of their seemingly prohibitive startup costs. Other articles in this issue tackle such objections by clearly showing the long-term benefits of even the most costly initiatives, so I won’t repeat their points.
Instead, I’ll focus on the many low- or no-cost changes you can make immediately—whether you are an employer or an employee, a printer, a designer, or a salesperson, and whether you work from home or in a ten-storey tower.
Energy-efficient bulbs
I’m sure you’ve seen the white spirals of compact fluorescent bulbs adorning a socket somewhere in your life—but perhaps you don’t know just how many benefits they offer. For starters, they last up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs, and use 75% less power. In financial terms, a compact fluorescent bulb costs more to purchase (usually 2 or 3 times the cost of a comparable incandescent bulb), but more than pays for itself by saving up to $40 in energy costs over its life, since it produces much less heat than an incandescent bulb of similar light output.
Imagine the savings if you were to replace all your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents! And compact fluorescents are also now available in warmer hues to soften the sometimes alien-looking light that dissuades some people from switching.
Double-siding
It seems obvious, being in the printing business, but every document you double-side, cuts your paper consumption in half. It’s often easier just to hit print for an internal memo or an email you’d like to keep, but taking the extra few seconds to double-side will add up to big savings and fewer paper purchases. If you can reduce the materials you use, you’ll spend less energy re-using and recycling, which is ultimately better for both the environment and your bottom line.
Office…unplugged
You may not know it, but appliances—be they toasters or Speedmaster SM 102s—draw a small amount of power whenever they are plugged in, whether or not they’re turned on. So turn off the computers and the presses when you leave work, and unplug them. The effort is small, but the cumulative effect can be huge!
Telecommuting
If you’re a print shop operator with presses to run, telecommuting probably isn’t a viable option for you. But if you’re a graphic designer at that print shop, telecommuting might be both an environmental and a personal delight.
If you have access to a laptop and a quiet living-room corner, telecommuting even one day a week can save you gas costs and emissions and can also increase productivity by keeping you away from office distractions. You’ll also be able to write off a portion of your home expenses and save on taxes! (Refer to the December/January issue for more details on potential tax savings.)
And if you do commute…
Those for whom telecommuting is impossible or impractical still have environmentally-friendly commuting options available. If you live in or near an urban area, look into public transit, if you haven’t already. Fewer cars means fewer tonnes of smog-causing emissions, not to mention federal tax credits if you buy annual or monthly transit passes. And nothing beats the thrill of speeding along in a train or designated transit lane while single-occupancy vehicles idle on the highway.
Speaking of single-occupancy vehicles, those living in areas not serviced by transit can always carpool. You may get the advantage of a special HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane to drive in, or simply the joy of only having to drive every third day, but either way, it’s a boon to you and to the environment.
None of these changes are costly, and few require a major time investment. All of them benefit both you and the environment. Why not give some of them a try, and hasten your office environment’s change from white to green?
Catherine welcomes comments at
catherine@graphicartsmag.com.
