Green Office - Need tips for a 400-person business - green policies-BUT, they have to be cost-effective?

Buy in bulk whether it's cream (buy 1 litre instead of individual packs) or paper. Encourage employees to shut down their computers and monitors at night. Encourage them to bring their lunches in reusable containers. Our office bought a bunch of reusable bags that people could pick up in the kitchen to help promote their "green" plan. (You can buy them at grocery stores for $1.) There are a lot of cleaning products that can be made for cheap by using vinegar and water for example. Friendly and cheap. Lots of recipes online. Similar recipes for toilets, all-purpose cleaners, etc.

Try putting together a program that encourages carpooling. I don't know how many people you have working there, or what your parking situation is like, but by providing people with information about which co-workers live near them, and then providing incentives for their carpooling (such as some sort of monetary incentive, or choice parking spots) you could reduce their gas expenses as well as the total amount of parking spaces that need to be kept and maintained. The cost of which is surprisingly high. A program such as this was implemented at a university setting and had incredibly positive results, and ended up saving the university money.

ok... turn the heat down 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 in the summer.. also have employees wear shirts with out ties.. like polos.. then they will not be as hot and the a/c will not have to be turned up.

If you ship stuff, shred your discarded paper for packaging materials, save boxes that things are shipped in, and have the post office pick up your outgoing packages and mail to save on gas. (they have to come by anyway, and do this for free.) Get a water purifier for tap water, and let employees drink that instead of getting water hauled in or having people bring it in to work in plastic bottles. Recycle printer and toner cartridges for credit at Staples or somewhere and that could be how you pay for more energy efficient items that the management doesn't want to shell out for. How about lunchtime? Is your business located within walking distance of restaurants? If not, let employees who care to, create a lunch group. Instead of everyone driving individually to lunch, have something delivered (pizzas, catering sized portions of takeout). Or, people can voluntarily create their own group to share lunch making with. If there are 20 people who want to have a vegetarian lunch, one day a month, one person would cook for all 20. I had an office where we did this and everyone was so much healthier for it. The gas saved, the extra time to savor a meal and relax instead of trying to drive somewhere for lunch is so much nicer. We used real dishes and washed them in a sink and dried by hand. Cleaners that are the best for the environment are actually cheaper than the chemical ones. Baking soda is an excellent cleaner for sinks, kitchen areas, and also cleans drains when mixed with cider vinegar. Vinegar is great for washing windows.

I started working with some local businesses recently to bring wellness to the work places. I concentrate on the clean air side of things since that's my expertise. I have partnered with a manufacturer of products that are sold wholesale. If you think that might go over well...let me know. Something to put a bug in their ear...let's say they wanted to do it...and everyone in the office liked the new 'windex' so to speak, the CEO or whoever could have a 'wellness' day to promote the new cleaners and oh by the way he or whoever could earn a second paycheck because it's like an affiliate program...might be something you would be interested in? Let me know...it's working in places all over the country...if you need references, respond to me and I can get them to you. Good luck!

I just want to say that your doing a good thing with trying to make a differnce and teaching your co-workers how to be eco-friendly.

Wow, am I impressed, I love to hear about offices going this route. It certainly sounds like you have tried to do your homework. The only thing I can add, because it's my business, is green cleaning. Literally cleaning without chemicals, just water, the cost savings are immense and the atmosphere inside your building will be a lot more pleasant. You no longer have to worry about lost days to illness because the employees doing the cleaning are getting it all, with no transfer of germs to them or the environment they are cleaning. Imagine a cloth that can absorb & kill the bacteria in it, streak free window cleaning and a mopping system that works on the same easy principles. Simple odors are sprayed then gone.....toilets swished and clean.....I would start small and work your way up to a full & total switch, these products, used properly have a 7 year life span, guaranteed for two, imagine the savings over that period of time. Norwex could help.

Check out the link...it's a Pittsburgh business, saw it on a documentary...