3 Sustainable Solutions for Your Office Environment
According to the United Nations, climate change is on a “fast track” to disaster and it’s “now or never” to implement actions and decisions to reduce carbon emissions. No one individual can tackle global warming challenges on their own, so it’s our responsibility to work together to make changes, big or small, in our daily lives that will make the Earth cleaner and greener for years to come.
One area we often overlook when thinking of an eco-friendlier lifestyle is the office, whether that’s at home or a corporate space. In honor of World Environment Day on June 5th, we’re sharing three tips on making sustainable decisions – and making a difference for the environment – with your office equipment.
Make your technology the STAR of the show.
Whether you are upgrading your home or corporate office technology, check to see that the products are ENERGY STAR certified. This label was created to reduce emissions and pollutants that are caused by inefficient use of energy. It allows for you to easily know that the products being purchased will be high-quality and energy efficient, ultimately helping you save on energy bills (a win-win).
(r)EPEAT after me.
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a third-party global rating system which continually verifies a manufacturer’s environmental claims. You can use these standards to make informed purchasing decisions and know that you’re supporting your organization’s sustainability goals.
RECYCLE that toner!
We have so many sustainable office solutions at our fingertips we may not even realize, such as readily available recycling programs for printer toner. Before you finish up your next printer toner cartridge, search for the most eco-friendly disposal methods near you to keep it out of landfills. For those operating a small business or as an individual, you can investigate drop off locations that will take care of recycling for you at no added cost. As an alternative, your office equipment manufacturers may have a recycling kit program in place which makes it easy to ship cartridges, bottles, toner containers and drum units in bulk.
The next time you are recycling a toner cartridge or purchasing an ENERGY STAR-certified product, give yourself a pat on the back – you’re contributing to a greener planet for the future and working to reduce your carbon footprint. To learn more about what we’re doing at Sharp to implement environmental sustainable practices, visit Sharp’s environment awareness page.