Many environmentally conscious businesses are making an effort toward sustainability to increase their competitive edge and boost revenue (plus increase productivity and company morale). Here are seven environmentally friendly office products to help your business go green. These seven products center on items that will help you reduce or eliminate waste and reduce your carbon footprint.

1. Eliminate Single-Use Water Bottles with a Water Delivery Service

Plastic debris accounts anywhere from 60% to 80% of all marine pollution. Four states – California, New York, Maine, and Vermont – have passed bans on them and cruise lines, hotels, and many other businesses are following suit.

2. Reduce Environmental Impact with Remanufactured Printer Cartridges

More than 375 million OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridges are thrown away each year clogging already overburdened landfills. It takes a cartridge nearly a thousand years to completely be discomposed so this is a huge burden on our planet. Also, these cartridges have been tagged as “potentially carcinogenic”. In landfills they have been found to leach toxic chemicals into the soil that could potentially make its way to underground aquifers leading to further pollution.

With each purchase of a remanufactured toner cartridge, you are keeping another cartridge out of our landfills and averting a significant chain of impacts to the environment.

3. Replace Light Fixtures with LED Bulbs

A quick way for a greener workspace involves converting incandescent lighting to LEDs to maximize your energy efficiency. Because LEDs are small, they produce less heat in your office environment which can help keep your thermostat stable and in energy conservation mode. The energy efficiency of these bulbs means they do have to be changed as frequently. They generally last five to ten years so they aren’t being disposed of into landfills thus adding to our solid waste issues.

4. Consider Document Management Software to Cut Down on Paper

The average office worker uses up to 10,000 sheets of paper every year. That’s what makes investing in document management software important in lowering excessive use of paper. Document management software can help lower the amount of time employees spend looking for their hard-copied documents, which can increase productivity.

However, some important documents will need to be printed in hard copy form which leads us to our next product – refurbished printers.

5. Consider Refurbished Printers to Help Your Carbon Footprint

You will always need to print certain critical documents so consider pairing your remanufactured toner cartridge with a refurbished printer to maximize your environmental-friendly impact.

You will be conserving energy and resources by buying a refurbished printer, plus saving quite a bit of costs over a new printer.

6. Buy Recycled Paper, Tissues, Paper Towels

Try to source your copy and printer paper from companies that provide recycled papers. Recycled paper produces 39% less solid waste using 31% of the energy it takes to create non- recycled paper. Also, it takes 53% less water to produce and no trees needed.

7. Use Refillable Whiteboard Markers

Dry erase markers are a staple in most conference rooms, allowing staff to brainstorm, organize, and make assignments during meetings and events. However, it’s often hard to find one that works when you need it, as they tend to dry out quickly. A great way to keep them out of the trash — and avoiding frequent spending on new ones — is to purchase a refillable set. They come in all colors and can be refilled easily, at a fraction of the price of new markers. Making a transition to a more green friendly office not only helps the planet, it also provides benefits for businesses in the form of cost-savings, productivity, and competitiveness.

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