How to be eco friendly while working from home

Working from home was once the dream of many people, and now it is one of the most common things you’ll see around. This article will provide you with some eco friendly tips to make your work from home life as comfortable and environmentally friendly as possible.

Why be eco friendly while working from home?

Many people choose to work from their homes because it is more convenient for them. However, working at home can be bad for the planet if you are not environmentally friendly. For example, using a lot of electricity, using paper and pens often, printing too often, etc. The amount of energy and resource that is wasted when working from home can be reduced by following the simple steps below.

Turn off appliances when you’re done with them

There are many different pieces of technology that most offices have, however in your home there may only be one or two things plugged in at once. When they’re not in use, turn them off! This will save on both energy and money.

Use natural light instead of artificial light

This one is simple; when you don’t need light to see what you’re doing, turn all artificial lights off and open the blinds! The natural sunlight will make everything easier to see.

Take your own shopping bags with you when you go shopping

This one is quite easy to do, but it will have a huge positive impact on the environment. You can take reusable bags with you when you go out, or put them in your car for whenever you need them! It’s simple, yet effective. You can buy reusable bags or even make your own!

Avoid printing documents that don’t need to be printed

A lot of people find themselves printing documents they don’t even want; things like extra copies of papers and other random files. Instead of wasting all that paper and ink, try getting into the habit of using online alternatives like Google Docs. They’re readily accessible and free (apart from any internet connection fees). Using this method also saves a lot of time and money.

Use pens with ink cartridges

There are many different types of writing instruments that you can use, but there is no need to use disposable ones. Using these will not only be bad for the environment, but they’ll cost you more money than necessary. Try using pens with refillable ink cartridges instead; it’s much better on both accounts.

Power down your computer at night

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it is often forgotten as we tend to have a habit of putting them on standby, which can be bad for the environment. Make sure that you power down your computer every night before you go to sleep so that you aren’t wasting any more energy than necessary.

Turn off your monitor when you’re done looking at it

This is quite a simple step to take, yet it will make your computer run more smoothly by saving up all of its memory for when you need it. When you turn the monitor off, the images don’t have to be processed anymore so everything that was being stored in memory can be used elsewhere instead (Not to mention it saves you more energy!).

Run your website on eco friendly web hosting

This is especially for those people who run (or are considering running) a blog or a business from home. When it comes to web hosting, there are many options available. However, if you are running a blog or website that is eco friendly, you should think about using green web hosting instead. This will make sure that the carbon footprint of your website is as low as possible because it takes advantage of renewable energy sources.

One great option is GreenGeeks, a company that gives back to the planet by using green energy for its web hosting. For more information about their services, pricing, and features, check out the link below which will take you straight to their website. (Note: As an affiliate, we would get a small commission for any purchase you make. It won’t cost you a penny extra, but will help us bring you more awesome content!)

Use recycled paper for printing purposes whenever possible

Using recycled paper doesn’t just help the environment; it also has many financial benefits too! More paper can be reused without being destroyed means that there will be less waste to deal with in the long run. You can purchase this type of paper from any office supply store too which makes things much easier!

Conclusion

So there you have it, several easy steps to follow in order to become more eco friendly when working from home. You don’t have to make drastic changes either; use these tips as guidelines and do what works best for you! As long as you’re making some kind of effort, the results will speak for themselves.