Working from Home? Go Green During Quarantine
2020 has been an interesting year, with many of us now working from home for the foreseeable future. While your dog may be loving your transition to being at home more often, you may be struggling to find your new normal and work-life balance.
Working from home can be a challenge, but it can also be an opportunity.
Here are 7 steps you can take to maximize your time at home while minimizing your impact on the environment:
1. Stuck on Zoom calls all day? Find a window, sit facing toward it, and turn off your lights! Natural lighting is much more flattering, and having your lights off will help save energy in your home. If you want to take it a step further and it's a beautiful spring day, try sitting outside to work or opening some windows. Turning off your A/C or turning it up a few degrees to match the outside temperatures will help save energy while you soak up some vitamin D.
2. Since you aren’t having to commute to work, you can mix household chores into your daily schedule. After washing a load of clothes, hang them outside to dry on a sunny day. If the weather starts to turn for the worse, as it often does in the spring, you will be home and able to snatch up your clothes before they get rained on.
3. Does your home office need some improvements? If you are upgrading appliances around your house, be sure to purchase products that are backed by environmental certifications. A couple to look for: ENERGY STAR, B Corporation, and TerraCycle. Also check out EnergyGuide Labels on products. These explain the efficiency of the appliance as compared to other models and are a good place to look for the ENERGY STAR logo. Learn more about EnergyGuide Labels here.
4. Revamp your recycling. Grab some extra tubs or trash cans and make an effort to recycle your extra papers, boxes, and other items you normally don’t bring home from the office. Be sure to check local guidelines on what items are accepted.
5. Those reports that are normally printed and handed out in meetings? Leave them on the computer! Be conscious about what items need to be printed, and what can be left digital. If you do need to print, try using recycled paper and refilling your own printer ink cartridges.
6. Since you can’t make your morning coffee run on your commute, you are probably looking for a little caffeine pick-me-up. Check out reusable coffee filters to cut down on your waste, and purchase Fair Trade coffee when available. What is Fair Trade and what does it have to do with sustainability? Read more here.
7. Do some green shopping! Check out Go Way Beyond’s Green Gear Guides to prepare for your next adventure. Our Green Gear Guide categorizes items based on use, performance, and impact. Search by product type or environmental cause. Click here to start searching.
How have you been Going Way Beyond while working from home? Send us a message or comment below!