My 10 point Green Home Office Pledge

I work from home a lot .. preparing for teaching and coordiniating local Landcare activities.  While working from home helps to reduce impacts associated with commuting daily and I am able to prepare my own lunch rather that purchasing lunches etc - I am horrified at the amount of office supplies that we go through in an office.  I guess this is bought about by the fact that we purchase and dipose of all of these materials.

We have already implemented a few things around the house to try to make our home office activities more sustainable.  We keep all our used one-sided and we reuse it or the kids use it for drawing.  Our paper that is used on both sides goes in a box to be shredded for bedding for the chooks - and then into the compost and finally into the garden. 

I have made the kids go through their pencil tins at home to get pencils for school rather than buying new packets of pencils. 

But we recognise that there are many more things that can be done.

I researched Office Sustainability Pledges on the internet and  found a range of good ideas - have a look at these - pledge by Harvard University, the Philadelphia Green Office Pledge and  the Australian National University runs a Green Office Program.  At the Australian National University ANUGreen (Sustainability Office) also have some great case studies of what is being implemented across the a range of departments at the University. 

So I have made a 10 point Green Home Office Pledge to make our home office activities more sustainable.

1.  Use once-used-paper for drafts where possible and ALL note taking.

2.  Use environmentally responsible paper with at least 50% recycled content.

3.  To double side and reduce paper use when photocopying/printing.
4.  To provide more resources as electronic copies thereby reducing the amount of paper used in the first place.

5  To refill printer cartridges rather than buying new cartridges and to recycle any old cartridges that cannot be refilled. NO cartridges to be sent to landfill.

6. To manage power consumption better.  Switch off appliances when not in use and activate power save mode.  Turn off lights when we leave the room and only have as many lights on as you need.

7.  To subscribe to or use green power (renewable energy supplies).

8. To replace the halogen downlights in the office with a more efficient compact fluorescent or LED options.
9.  To offest any mileage that I undertake through work realted activities.
10.  Where possible buy pens, pencils and textas that are either made from recycled materials or are recyclable.

What do you do in your office or home office to make it more "green"?

Are you willing to join the 10 point Green Home Office Pledge as well?