Alternative Transportation
Whenever possible, walk, bike, car pool, or use mass transit. Every gallon of gasoline you save avoids 22 pounds of CO2 emissions. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, for example, and you reduce your annual driving from 12,000 to 10,000 miles, you'll save 1800 pounds of CO2.
Conserve Paper
Use email when possible and avoid unnecessary printing. Before you print a document, train yourself to always use the spell check and print preview and remember to always take advantage of both sides of the paper, instead of just one. The pulp and paper industry is the fifth largest consumer of energy, accounting for 4 percent of all the world’s energy use.
Lights Out
When you leave your office, a meeting room, or a vacant break room, turn off the lights. Make sure that copiers, printers, desk-side lights, and other electric appliances are turned off when you leave the office at night. About 81 tons of mercury is emitted into the atmosphere each year as a result of electric power generation and mercury is the most toxic heavy metal in existence.
Small Investments Pay Off
Buy energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs. Although they cost more initially, they save money in the long run by only using ¼ the energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and lasts 8-12 times longer.
Smart Energy Conservation
Be careful not to overheat or overcool your office or home. In the winter, set your thermostat at 68 degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. In the summer, keep it at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter saves 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.
Reduce
Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying minimally packaged goods, for every pound of waste you eliminate or recycle, you save energy and reduce emissions of CO2 by at least 1 pound. Cutting down your garbage by half of one large trash bag per week saves at least 1100 pounds of CO2 per year.
Reuse
Purchase durable or reusable products, such as rechargeable batteries, over disposable ones.
Recycle
Make sure you are recycling whenever possible; cardboard, paper, plastic, tin, glass, even old or broken electronics and cell phones can be recycled. Making products with recycled materials, instead of from scratch with raw materials, uses 30 to 55% less for paper products, 33% less for glass, and a whopping 90% less for aluminum.