Green tips for the office
- Have an office-wide policy for promoting environmental stewardship within the office environment.
- Have visible and accessible services for reduction, reuse and recycling of waste materials. Encourage all to use the Blue Box if it is available at your location.
- View, work on, and share documents electronically and minimize taking printouts. When printing, print on both sides and use recyclable materials.
- Use 100% post-consumer recycled paper (made from water paper discsrded by end users) when possible.
- Ensure that the level of heating or cooling is adjusted properly and turn off lights, computers and other electrical appliances when not in use or before leaving the office.
- When you are procuring supplies and goods, look for products with ‘eco-labels’ (e.g., EcoLogo certified products) or that are better for the environment. In addition, look for products that are more durable or ones that can be re-used or recycled. Recycled laser printer cartridges are an example of reuse.
- Encourage car pooling and eco-friendly commuting arrangements. When buying a new vehicle, consider buying one with a better fuel efficiency.
Resources
Manitoba Going Green is a web based “green purchasing guide” that has been developed to integrate environmental and social considerations into public sector purchasing decisions.
Public Works and Government Services Canada has a comprehensive checklist for green procurement.
Lake Friendly is an organization that is dedicated to protecting water quality of the lakes in
Manitoba. It has useful tips on how environmentally responsible buying practices can help protect water quality.
Additional guidance on green procurement can be found at Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention, Green Purchasing.
