Too often we forget that we are guests of Mother Earth. The planet was here long before us and deserves to be treated with respect. But guilt often compels us to make personal adjustments, as opposed to workplace makeovers.

Being environmentally friendly at the office differs greatly from a business's social responsibility code, whether it's lip service or not. Instead of looking macro, companies must focus on the micro matters that can harm the environment through laziness, ignorance or sheer stinginess.

To go green is not just satisfying the neo-hippie staffer who leads the car-pooling and encourages coffee mugs instead of plastic cups. Rather, a green workspace can result in a happy office - and that benefit cannot be merely counted in dollars and cents.

Average employees can walk into their workplace, look around and feel disgusted at what they see - mountains of photocopies destined for the landfill, ceiling lights blazing all day and night and computers idling during non-working hours. It's enough to make David Suzuki scream, but these offences need not continue.

Illustration by Adrian Hayles, Business Edge


What continues this spiral of overconsumption is meagre knowledge on how to reverse the practices, from baby steps to a giant leap in attitude.

I asked Keir Brownstone what businesses should do to be energy efficient. As general manager of Toronto's Green$aver, an eco-friendly consulting firm for homes and businesses, Brownstone has advised office managers on how they can cut energy bills by going green.

Brownstone says that lighting typically amounts to 30 per cent of energy costs, so replacing old bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs is critical. "And many offices light their places like Wal-Mart," he says, only half-joking. "So much of the lighting is overkill."

He says a problem with many older buildings is the switching situation: One switch for an entire floor of lights means conservation is even more difficult to uphold. Addressing the situation is cost-intensive, but Brownstone suggests building architects should rethink their lighting design when they begin their blueprints.

Another culprit is heating and cooling systems that seem to run 24/7. Building managers can save on electricity bills by programming thermostats to trigger warming and cooling as needed during the workday and hibernating at night.

According to the Energy Action Council of Toronto, setting winter thermostat levels to 21°C and summer levels to 23°C can save up to five per cent on electricity and gas bills.

"Proper use of blinds can also reduce the heat load in an office," Brownstone says. "Sitting in a mini-furnace will drive up the cost of air conditioning."

Need more evidence that energy efficiency is smart? Processing paper generates tonnes of pollutants, and the North American pulp and paper industry releases more than 100 million kilograms of toxic pollution annually. What that means on an office level is that hasty waste - junk faxes, photocopying on one side - contributes to the problem.

Brownstone advises printing and copying on both sides - and using unsolicited faxes as extra paper. Earth-friendly alternatives to tree-based paper exist, including corn and rice husks and hemp, but a simpler route is opting for 100-per-cent post-consumer recycled (PCR) chlorine-free paper.

One of the more obvious practices is implementing a recycling program, with boxes labelled plastics, paper and cardboard. It may require some monitoring, but consider the benefits: Recycling about one tonne of paper saves 17 trees. To some children, that's a forest's worth of fun.

Any discussion on energy efficiency should mention Energy Star computers, printers and fax machines, which follow the strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy. They not only use less energy, they also cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Energy Star website, such equipment can reduce electricity bills by up to 30 per cent.

It's not enough to buy the product, since computers and monitors consume energy even when they're using screensavers or hibernating. Brownstone recommends turning off the power bar to ensure energy conservation when the computer will be unused for a long period.

Greenpeace Canada also offers these tips to go green in the workplace:

* Use crayons or wax pencils instead of solvent-based markers.

* Use refillable pens and pencils rather than disposable ones.

* Bring lunch in reusable containers.

* Lobby for faucet aerators at work to save water.

* Buy only one copy of the newspaper for all staff to share.

Implementing these practices won't drain the bottom line, contrary to popular belief. In fact, experts say the cost-benefit in the long term will outweigh the initial retrofitting costs.

As Brownstone says: "Turning off lights and PCs costs nothing.”

There is no excuse and no time to lose.

For the building manager renting office space, incentives are available from the federal government. Natural Resources Canada offers several rebate and incentive programs, from funding 25 per cent of lighting and heating retrofits to awarding up to $60,000 to building owners whose design meets the requirement of the Commercial Building Incentive Program.

Skeptics need only look at how successful other businesses have been in energy efficiency and environmental awareness. Corporate role models include Hamilton-based Dofasco, which trained energy co-ordinators to hold workshops for 500 employees. Unilever Canada, based in Toronto, also implemented energy management workshops and a cheekily named Watt Watchers program, which targeted an energy-reduction rate of five per cent a year.

Respecting our home and natural land should not be the top priority for only the top companies. Entrepreneurs riding the road to success can do something for the greater good by reshaping attitudes that promote environmental friendliness. Old dogs can be taught new tricks if they make a concerted effort to listen to what a younger generation is proposing, be it short or long term.

Remember, we're temporary guests on this planet and it's up to us what kind of impression we will leave long after we're gone.

(David Silverberg can be reached at silverberg@businessedge.ca)