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Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) policies.

1. Be bright about light
Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.

> Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.

> Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

2. Maximize computer efficiency
Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.

> Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.

> Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get a tax deduction.)

3. Print smarter
The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.

> Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible.

> Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. Each remanufactured toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."

4. Go paperless when possible

> Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.

> Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.

5. Ramp up your recycling

> Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.

FDC can pick up your used toner cartridges and old cell phones.

Just call for pick-up or we can place a recycling container in your office.

All proceeds go to charity. Call today for details.

> Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.

6. Close the loop

> Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.

7. Watch what (and how) you eat

> Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.

> Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.

8. Rethink your travel

> Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or subway when feasible instead of a rental car when traveling on business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.

> Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.

9. Reconsider your commute

> Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like Zipcar and Flexcar instead of owning your own wheels.

> Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that's also good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.

10. Create a healthy office environment

> Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.

> Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic chemicals.

While in the past many people were not thinking about the environment, especially at work, increased awareness of the importance of conservation and saving the environment has even made business owners begin to take a second look at practices they can change to improve the environment. If you haven't considered how your business is affecting the environment, it may be time to consider what you can do to operate a little greener. Today it is becoming more and more popular to go green at the office and it is relatively easy to use great policies at work that can help the environment and make your business more successful as well. Not sure where to begin? Well, here are a few tips to help you out.

Tip #1 Go with Green Vendors: If you want to go green at your office, it's going to be important to go with green vendors for your needs. Find out if vendors have green policies of their own in place already. Each vendor your use, such as your office supply company or even the bank you use should have green policies to help with the environment. Find out which businesses do use green policies and then support them and their choices by giving them your company's business.

Tip #2 Make Donations: Another thing that you can do to keep your office environmentally friendly is to make some donations. All the pens, phones, books, computers, and other supplies that you have at the office that are no longer being used can be donated. You'll find schools, libraries, charity stores, and nursing homes will be glad to take them off your hands. This way someone else can get some use out of them and you won't be throwing them away.

Tip #3 Purchase and Plant Trees around Your Business: Trees are great for helping the environment by releasing oxygen into the air. Why not plant some trees around your business. Perhaps start an initiative at your office for people to earn their own tree. You may even want to set a special day aside for planting some trees. This will be great for the environment and it can be excellent for your business promotion as well. Purchasing some small saplings should not be all that expensive to do, and consider even using these trees as awards or incentives in the office instead of paper certificates.

Tip #4 Put in Electric Hand Dryers: Many businesses go with paper towels in their bathrooms, and this promotes the use of natural resources that could be saved. Instead of using all that paper, why not invest in some electric hand dryers for your bathrooms. This will save on using paper towels, and not only is it great for the environment, but it is also going to be cost effective as well, since you'll save quite a bit on the cost of the paper towels.

Tip #5 Go with Recycled Products: There are a variety of different recycled products that you can use for your business that will help you in your pursuit of going green at the office. Some of the recycled products that you can use include recycled paper goods, recycled toner and printer cartridges, and even recycled plastics. You should recycle yourself, and also use recycled products as much as you can.

Tip #6 Purchase Personalized Coffee Mugs for Your Employees: How many Styrofoam cups do you go through a day at the office? If you have many coffee drinkers in the office lounge, more than likely you go through quite a few. Why not go ahead and purchase some personalized coffee mugs for all of your employees. This is a great gift that you can offer and they'll be able to use their mugs over and over again instead of having to actually use Styrofoam cups, which are not great for the environment.

As you can see, there are many things that you can do that can help to improve the environment. Going green at the office is actually a lot easier and cheaper than you probably thought it would be; in fact, it can even save you money in the long run. So, if you're ready to start taking care of the world you live in, consider using these tips at the office to make it as green as you possibly can.