• Make sure double sided printing is the default setting on everyone’s computer, printer and copier.
• Use paper made primarily from recycled paper. This closes the loop on the recycling process by creating demand for paper recycling programs.
• Use the backs of former employees’ old business cards to jot down phone numbers and other short notes thereby cutting down on your use of sticky notes.
• Donate old binders and other no longer needed office supplies to local schools.

In the Kitchen

• Use porcelain plates and silverware for office lunches and birthday celebrations.
• Use compostable plates, cups and cutlery for office celebrations and when you throw them out put them into special compostable garbage bags which will break down easier in the landfill.  This reduces the demands on the dishwasher and saves both water and power.
• Buy community-use plastic containers so anyone can take one to the cafeteria to bring lunch back to the office.
• One organization implemented a green tax of 25 cents. It is payable, on the honour system, whenever an employee uses a disposable cup or container. The money will eventually be used for some type of carbon / waste / energy reducing initiative.
• Use fair trade coffee and tea because not only does it help the farmers and producers get a decent and stable price for their product, the fair-trade “social premium” producers receive allows them to invest in their communities, often in environmental projects.

Electrical and Energy Usage

• Encourage employees to turn off their computer, monitors and other electrical devices at the end of the day.
• Post reminders to turn off power bars until it is a natural part of the corporate culture.
• Set up your computer network so employees can work from home sometimes and save the commute.
• Invest in a video conferencing system to reduce the need to travel to meetings thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Purchase a company bicycle so if employees have to drive because they live out of town or are visiting from another office, they can still use a bicycle to get to meetings and appointments.

Community involvement

• Get involved with community groups promoting sustainability like Road Map 2020 in Saskatoon.

Encourage Employee Awareness

• Create a green team of keen employees who can brainstorm new ideas and spearhead new projects.
• Encourage employees to improve energy use in their homes. A voluntary program lets employees bring in their energy and water consumption data to see how they measure up compared to average. They can then tap into the knowledge of others in the office to help improve performance.
• Encourage employees to take full advantage of the Innovation Place orchard in Saskatoon. Picking berries and apples together is fun for a quick break and encourages knowledge about local food.

You can’t Change What You don’t Measure

• Several organizations have, or are in the process of, creating in house environmental standards with measurable targets.  They are measuring  energy use, paper use and green house gas emissions generated through commuting and through airline business travel.

In House Recycling

• Set up an in-office recycling station and, along with the usual paper and pop cans, collect compact fluorescent bulbs, batteries and ink cartridges.
• Be sure your recycling containers are in an easily accessible location and are well labeled.
• Remove the garbage bins at people’s desks leaving only recycling bins instead. Set up a couple of shared garbage bins around the office.
• Use recycling bins as community involvement initiatives. Proceeds from recycling get split between two charities.
• Donate the pop cans to parents who are involved with fundraising activities for their children.
• Make use of the Innovation Place computer and electronics recycling depots.
• Occasionally conduct an office waste audit to ensure people are using the recycling facilities to their full potential.
• Set up your own composting bucket for lunch and coffee wastes. People can take turns taking home the bucket for use in their garden.