Green may not be the color you would choose for your office décor, but when it comes to the products you select for everyday use, green is definitely the color of choice for reducing the negative environmental impact that even a small or home office may have.

Turning your office into an environmentally friendly “green” place is easy to do, and beneficial for both the earth, and our future. Try using these simple everyday strategies to make a difference!

Reduce the amount of waste your office produces by consuming less paper and storing smart! Write on both sides of paper when jotting down notes, and separate thoughts by drawing a line between them rather than using a new sheet. It’s also a good idea to request that documents are printed only when necessary. In order to reduce the need for reprinting lost or damaged papers, try storing them in UniKeep Binders. This way they will not only be archival safe, but protected from tear out, dirt, water damage and many other harmful elements of the weather during transportation.

Many everyday office products and practices have easy alternatives that can make a big impact on our environment.

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UniKeep Media Disc Binders are also a great way to reduce waste around the office.  While holding more discs and using less shelf space, they also prevent CDs from becoming lost or damaged, putting a stop to making unnecessary duplicates. Keeping both your digital and printed documents organized is key in reducing waste. Eliminating the need to make repeats of “missing" documents is easy with the help of UniKeep.

It is crucial to reuse materials found around your office in order to help reduce waste output. Start by printing and copying on both sides of paper when possible. Make an effort to cut back on office waste by purchasing quality materials that can be reused and won’t wind up in the trashcan.
UniKeep’s durable binders withstand the test of time, letting you reuse them
over and over again.

The most important strategy for turning your office green is to recycle! This may sound simple, but it makes a big difference when it comes to preserving the environment and our very own future.
Avoid products containing harmful materials that do not naturally disintegrate when sent to landfills, such as aluminum, PVC, and Styrofoam. Instead, make a conscious effort to buy
goods and materials that are recyclable. UniKeep makes recycling simple
with a wide variety of our 100% polypropylene products that are
curbside recyclable in almost every country in the world.

Getting Started is as Easy as 1-2-3! 1- How do I get started? The first thing to do is call your local waste removal company and ask about recycling options for your city. Questions you should ask include, “Is recycling included in my taxes?” “Is there a fee for recycling services in my community?” In some cases recycling is provided by the city “free of charge”, and bins can be picked up at your local recycling center (which you can locate via phone book, or internet). Other cities charge a monthly or annual fee for recycling services (an average of $5 per month). In this case, contact your waste removal provider and sign up for their recycling service.

• Many communities have central collection facilities that accept separated recyclable materials. These are convenient, free, and available any time, but be sure to follow the specific instructions for separating items. You can use your own bins and deliver whenever you want. Check your phone book for local listings.

2 - I have the bins now what?!

• Start recycling! Familiarize yourself, and your co-workers with the location of your recycling bins so that they will be sure to use them. Make things easier by labeling what material each container is for. It is very important to go through the process of separating items, not only because it helps people to easily identify the materials used both in and out of the office that can be recycled, but it will actually help reduce the overall cost of recycling in the long run!

3 - What exactly can I recycle?

• Although the materials that each recycling facility will accept differ from city to city, one thing is always the same: all materials sent to any recycling center are inspected and sorted before being processed. In other words, if you are not sure that it can be recycled, put it in the bin anyway and let the recycling center take it from there. However, most products that can be recycled contain the universal symbol for recycling.

Now that you know how to go green, there’s no reason not to! You will feel better knowing that you are making a difference in our world!

For more information:

UniKeep LLC

www.unikeep.com

800/ 829.8117

Find more helpful green office tips on these sites:

http://www.sustainableportland.org/Grn_Off_Guide.pdf

http://www.planetark.com/campaignspage.cfm/newsid/178/newsDate/5/story.htm

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/environmentbiz/a/envirfriend1.htm