12 for 2012: Steps to Define Sustainable Practices in Your Business

The New Year brings new resolutions. Cultivating sustainability practices in the workplace is a long-term commitment, whether you're responsible for two employees or 2,000. Here are 12 straight-forward, but easy to implement steps to help define sustainability efforts in your workplace. Go ahead, take ownership (even if you’re not an owner) and help your company be a sustainability leader.

1. Draft an annual sustainability plan Writing down plans will help define your goals and best determine how to achieve them. It will demonstrate to customers your commitment to reducing your environmental footprint. Review the plan once every two months to make sure you’re on track.

2. Share the ride Organize an office carpool – it is as easy as posting a notice in your lunchroom. The immediate personal benefits are obvious — reducing impact on traffic while preserving our resources — it's a great team-builder, too. Consider incentives for groups that organize and sustain meaningful ride-sharing programs.

3. Use recycled supplies Recycled office supplies are available from paper to printer cartridges. Choosing refurbished or recycled gear is good for the bottom line and for the Earth, keeping older equipment out of landfills and saving resources which would have been used to manufacture something new.

4. Replace the water cooler with a water filter The water cooler is a great convenience for office workers, but bottled water, even five gallon quantities, isn't a good thing for the environment. Consider installing reverse osmosis water filters instead, and encourage employees to bring reusable drink ware to work - eliminating paper cups.

5. Reduce paper usage Moving to digital documents - through creation or by scanning paper documents into a database - is a simple way to save trees and paper; however, this is not always possible. When you do print, consider printing smarter through creating a policy to make all copies double-sided and switch office paper to chlorine-free, which is 30-100% post consumer.

6. Recycle the paper you use Whether you're disposing of printed documents or just juggling scraps of notepaper around the office, recycling is a no-brainer. Set up convenient recycling hoppers around your workplace, along with smaller bins for each desk and cubicle.

7. Refine your office cleaning supplies Office supply cabinets contain some of the most powerful toxins allowed for sale. Just as at home, swapping chemical cleaning agents for non- or less-toxic natural equivalents can go a long way toward greener, safer indoor spaces.

8. Eat-in If you frequently leave the office to grab a bite, particularly if it involves driving, consider packing your lunch instead. It's probably healthier for you and you'll save on fuel consumption. Are you responsible for other workers? Make sure they have facilities for lunch, including seating away from their desks, access to a microwave, and a sink for cleaning utensils and food containers.

9. Think about lighting Does your workplace have windows? Is that light blocked by cubicle walls and storage units? If so; maybe it is time to rethink the arrangement of your workspace. Natural lighting is healthy and free — and it sure beats those industrial fluorescent tubes. Rather than ceiling fixtures, it may be smarter to install energy efficient lighting at each workstation.

10. Leverage teleconferencing With fuel and travel expenses at a premium, it makes sense to replace some trips and meetings with electronic events. Teleconferencing is a great way to save resources while improving communication with customers and co-workers.

11. Power down electronics at night Every night, computers display screensavers to millions of perfectly empty cubicles. Take a moment to shut down at the end of the day. Modern desktops boot fairly quickly, and you'll save thousands of watts per year.

12. Form a green office committee Sustainability in business is a day-by-day, department-by-department commitment. Form a standing committee to regularly brainstorm and implement green strategies. Ask for their input, act on their best suggestions, and reward results.

Courtesy of RapidRefill.com