Go Green at Work

A healthy business is one that protects the health of employees and our environment. 

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• Turn out the lights. Turn off lights when you leave a room for 15 minutes or more.  Make use of natural lighting whenever possible.  Use energy efficient light bulbs.  
  
• Turn off your computer.  Just by setting your computer to power down automatically after 15 minutes of non-use, you cut the machine’s energy use by 70%.  Screen savers don’t save energy.
  
• Don’t waste paper.  Print on both sides of the paper, and don’t print when you don’t need to.
  
• Consider your commute.  Walk, carpool, bike or take a bus to work. 
  
• Remember to recycle.  Buy recycled paper products. Use refillable ink and toner cartridges.  Set up recycling bins for aluminum, plastics, cardboard, glass and paper.
  
• Improve air quality.  Use non-toxic cleaning products and use natural ventilation. Keep a plant in your office—it helps absorb indoor pollution.  Turn down air conditioning or heat.
  
• Support vendors who have green policies in place.   Find out who has good practices and give them your business.
  
• Take the stairs.  It is good exercise and saves energy.
  
• Watch what and how you eat.   Bring your own mug and dishware for meals you eat at work.  Provide filtered water to cut down on bottled water waste.  Buy Fair Trade, organic and local foods whenever possible. 

Health benefits of greening your workplace

Better respiratory health
Less carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases means healthier air and healthier breathing.  One energy-saving light bulb is estimated to keep half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air over its lifetime.

Burn calories
Taking the stairs and walking or biking to work are both exercise and energy saving.

Green fruits and vegetables
Support local farmers and bring green fruits and vegetables (such as avocados, apples, and green peppers) to share with coworkers.  Additionally, buying them locally means less energy used in thousands of miles of transportation.

Contact us  to join the Healthy Cleveland Business Council