Celebrate Earth Day at Work

While you still have a chance to plan a celebration, or an ongoing commitment in your workplace to all things "green," here's a heads up. April 22 is Earth Day. In honor of Earth Day, We have expanded this blog post into a full article with twenty tips to get a green team started in your workplace.

In honor of this year's celebration of Earth Day, form a green team at work. While debate exists about recycling and other aspects of environmentalism - try to get an answer to paper bags or plastic in the grocery stores, as an example - a green team is motivational for employees who want to make a difference in their work environment.

And, the team may even save energy and time, keep trash out of landfills, opt for reuseable dishes, share books in a library, and more. A team is a great way to brainstorm and develop ideas, develop employee leadership and planning skills, and involve employees who might not be engaged by other team topics.

Ten Tips: Get Your Work Green Team Started

Here are ten ideas your green team can start out with as they brainstorm and implement their own ideas (the article offers more):

* Keep room temperatures at 68 degrees in the winter and 55 degrees at night.
* Experiment, because employees have to be comfortable, but use air conditioning with discretion.
* Turn off your office lights while you attend meetings and at night and over the weekend.
* Limit the use of space heaters. Ask employees to dress more warmly instead.
* Recycle cans, bottles, newspapers, magazines, and electronic equipment such as computers.
--Computer Recycling in the U.S..
--Computer Recycling in Canada.
* Limit the use of disposable products at company supplied lunches and events.
* Put your computer and printer on energy saving settings when you know you'll be away for awhile.
* Purchase energy efficient appliances for your offices.
* Turn lights off in restrooms, conference rooms, libraries, and so forth when the room is not in use.
* Send extra food from company events and lunches home with employees rather than throwing it away.