Waste Less Office & School

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Office and School

Office & School

The EarthWISE program is the free to you business environmental assistance and networking program offered to businesses in Marion County. EarthWISE program staff are available for anything from a quick phone call to answer an environmental question to a full-service environmental assessment site visit - whatever you need to get your business recycling, reducing waste, and/or saving energy and water.

Waste Less at Work

Take advantage of teleworking and flexible shifts to reduce commute times.
Ride Your Bike It's good for you and the environment! Check out State and local bike maps for information on how to get around safely.
Use Public Transportation Choose to travel by bus or train.
Carpool and share your ride with others. This is a great way to connect with others while saving resources and scoring a sweet parking spot.
Be a sustainability leader at work by bringing durable, reusable items for lunch and drinks, joining or starting a green team, and encouraging sustainable practices.

Reduce Paper Consumption

Store and share documents digitally on the cloud or through email.
Proof documents on the computer screen before printing.
Program your printer to default to print double-sided.
Purchase paper with recycling content.
Re-use single-sided paper for drafts, scratch paper or packaging materials.
Recharge ink cartridges or purchase refurbished ink cartridges.

Reduce Unwanted Mail

Have a recycling, and shred system set up by the place you collect mail to shred and/or recycle before you bring it into your home.
Sign up for paperless bill pay.
Re-use manila envelopes and shipping boxes.
Avoid styrofoam packing peanuts and share the ones you receive with shipping businesses for reuse.
Give old trade magazines and journals to libraries or add to Little Free Libraries.
Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by signing up for the major opt-out registeries:

DMAChoice.org - Association of National Advertisers
OptOutPrescreen.org - FTC list for credit card and insurance offers
DirectMail.com - National Do Not Mail list

Office Equipment and Furniture Tips

Store documents on USB or an external drive to minimize the number of hard copies made. If your company has a network, use a common directory to transfer documents.
Recharge printer cartridges.
Choose computers that are easy to repair.
Shop at resale stores to purchase computers and electronics that have been ethically refurbished.

School Supplies

Check with educators to see how up to date the school list is. Many lists are older and haven’t been updated.
Pick up needed supplies from thrift stores or creative reuse centers.
Host a Swap or share clothing with families who have children larger or smaller than yours. This can be a fun way for kids to connect and feel proud about wearing something from an older peer. Set up a fashion show to make trying on clothes more fun for kids that are less enthusiastic about trying on garments.