As Earth Day arrives, remember to recycle and conserve at work and at home
Earth Day, the annual celebration designed to inspire the public to take pride in the environment, is April 22. How seriously do YOU take it?
Here are ways you can give the planet its due, from saving power on your PC to recycling old equipment.
Be energy wise
One of the easiest ways to be Earth-friendly is to watch how you use energy. Ways to cut power use include:
· Turning off lights and unplug devices when not in use.
· Adopting Green Print and minimizing paper waste.
· Using the AC power option settings on your desktop or laptop.
· Turning off conference room lights when leaving.
· Reducing business travel through teleconferencing, collaboration tools or holding virtual F2F meetings.
Retire your old computer
A new computer is a great thing. But what do you do with the old one? Recycle it! Here are things to keep in mind as you prepare to pass on your once-workhorse PC or laptop:
· Carefully remove all personal information from the outgoing PC. If possible, wipe the hard drive clean and reinstall the operating system before recycling. Better yet, remove the old hard drive completely before disposing of the machine.
· Computers contain harmful substances, so don't simply toss your old computer into the trash can. Many waste disposal companies prohibit old computer disposal through routine waste pick-up, so alternative methods may be required.
· Don't dispose of an old computer without considering the reusable components. Even if you need to upgrade your system, your mouse, keyboard, monitor and other hardware may be compatible with your new machine. This can be a great way to save money when purchasing a new computer, and it eliminates unnecessary waste. It also makes disposal of computers quicker and easier since you have fewer materials to remove.
· Consider donating your old computer to a local school or library. This allows you to give back to your community, and your donation may be tax deductible. You can also contact nonprofit groups that take donated computers, laptops and tablets to be distributed to global education programs, community centers, Veterans' programs and more.
Remember why you should recycle
The benefits include:
· Recycling helps save money. Haulers generally charge less for recycling than for normal garbage collection.
· Reducing waste reduces needless consumption. Limiting unnecessary consumption preserves resources.
· Reducing waste also conserves energy and reduces air, soil, and water contamination from needless production of goods, and from fossil fuel powered transportation that delivers goods and hauls them away as waste.
· Recycling reduces the use of landfills. That says a lot: until 1991, the world's largest man-made structure was the Great Wall of China. Now, it's the Fresh Kills Landfill in New York City, the highest point on the East Coast.
Be Earth-friendly at home, too
Green practices don't have to be confined to the workplace. You can also implement these at home:
· Choose recyclable products and containers and recycle them. Select products made from recycled materials, compost yard trimmings and food scraps. Use your city's curbside recycle program, if it has one.
· Reduce unnecessary packaging whenever possible, such as through the use of reusable shopping bags.
· Borrow, rent or share items used infrequently.
· Sell or donate goods instead of discarding them.
· Think twice before printing an item. Consider whether creating a PDF of a document and storing it electronically is a more worthwhile action.
· Switch to online bill paying and online statements to reduce trash from discarded mail.
· Carpool, walk, ride a bike or telecommute to work to reduce automobile emissions and air pollution.
No comments:
Post a Comment