Environmentally conscious purchases
Consider energy-efficient equipment when replacing appliances and computers in your office and home.
• Visit Energy Star at www.energystar.gov to find a wide array of energy-saving products, including printers, copies, refrigerators and computers.
• When replacing computers, consider those that are rated highly by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) by visiting www.epeat.net. The Web site uses a set of criteria to help consumers compare the energy efficiency of various computers.
Recycling
Cut down on waste and disposables in your office and work toward recycling items you are no longer using:
• Arrange for your ink cartridge supplier to pick up used cartridges for reuse and/or purchase remanufactured cartridges, rather than new ones, for laser printers.
• Provide pitchers with filtered water, rather than bottled water, to employees and visitors.
• Donate old office equipment, computers and supplies.
Sustainable practices
Consider using paper products and printing companies that abide by sustainable practices. Among those to consider are:
• Purchase printed stationary from companies that use environmentally-sustainable inks;
• Use paper gleaned from sustainable forests; and
• Choose printing companies that rely on wind power and use soy-based inks.