Tips for an eco-friendly office...

As seen on "Good Morning America" this morning.

• According to the EPA more than $3 Billion dollars is wasted annually in electricity for office machines left running when not in use. A great way to immediately reduce your impact is to plug all of your computer and electronic devices into a Power Strip that you can turn off every night with the flick of a switch. Plug in your PC speakers, iPod charger, cell phone charger, scanner etc. Investigate which devices are the biggest energy hogs with Kill-a-Watt.
It's true that sometimes your monitor and computer need to stay running, but there is no longer an excuse to be like-minded with your appliances and waste time being 'idle.' Download the new CO2 saver for free -- a lightweight application that adjusts your power settings on your computer, hard drive and monitor to consume less electricity when not actively in use.
• Use a staple-less stapler - we would save 120 tons of steel if every office worker used one less staple a day for a year (that's about the equivalent of 25 SUV's!).
• In the words of Rob Schneider from Saturday Night Live, "Making Copies" is now becoming somewhat out of favor as we can now PDF our doc's and distribute them electronically. The average office worker uses approximately 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year which translates to a lot of trees! If you MUST print, use 100% post consumer recycled paper, available at most office supply stores or "tree-free paper".
• For your binders, folders and other supply needs, check out the Office Depot Green Book or online catalog and refuse the monster book that they typically distribute.
• Try the biodegradable pen where you can exercise that "green" thumb of yours and actually plant it!
• You don't have to be a gardener to pick up a few small plants to keep in your office. Plants have been referred to as "nature's clean air machines" and studies have shown that plants notably improve the quality of the air by effectively removing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide among other pollutants from the atmosphere. The common English Ivy, Heartleafed Philodendron or Green Spider plants are three that been named as some of the most efficient air cleaners that prosper indoors with low light and don't require too much water.
• Water, however, is a something that humans should all remember to drink plenty of! Being a good hydra-tor is a wonderful feeling but an even better feeling is practicing this without contributing to the incredible amount of plastic used to bottle it. Approximately 2.7 billion tons of plastic is used each year for bottling water and 86% of it ends up in landfill and will never fully biodegrade (I won't even go into the harmful effects of plastic on your health and the environment today!) but, a great way to quench your thirst and your style is tote a Sigg bottle. They're made with 100% recyclable aluminum and are coated with a highly elastic safe finish. They have a beautiful vast collection of colors and styles to suit your personality, (or personalities as the case may be!)
• Don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave your eco-office and pick a copy of the September issue of House and Garden Magazine - the eco-chic column has some excellent additional tips and product recommendations.