How to Create an Eco-Friendly Home Office
Being able to work from home is one of the many benefits of being a freelancer. And since working from home reduces your travel emissions and energy usage, it’s also a more eco-friendly way to work. In fact, one study found that remote workers could have a 54% lower carbon footprint compared to on-site workers! But there are even more ways you can minimize your career’s impact on the environment.
In this blog post, we’ll explore five things you can do to create an eco-friendly home office. After all, if everyone makes small changes, it can make a huge difference to the world!
1. Digitize Your Paperwork
Paper is such a familiar, innocuous item that many people don’t realize it can negatively impact the environment. It takes a significant number of resources – trees, water, and energy – to keep up with global demand for paper. One sheet of paper alone requires between 2 and 13 liters of water to produce! Plus, 42% of all global wood harvest is used to make paper – making paper production a significant contributor to deforestation.
The impact doesn’t stop at paper; printer ink also contributes to environmental waste. Over 375 million ink cartridges are discarded each year in the US alone, with most ending up in landfills.
If you want to cut down on your paper and ink use, the office is a great place to start. There are many ways you can go digital with your documents:
- Send forms, such as invoices and contracts, electronically.
- Sign up to receive your bills and bank statements by email.
- Use note-taking apps for notes and reminders.
- Use time-management and scheduling software instead of physical calendars.
- Utilize cloud-based storage instead of filing cabinets.
- Embrace collaborative platforms such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Teams for real-time document sharing.
- Use esignature services to avoid printing documents just for signing.
For any paperwork that you can’t convert to digital, you can use recycled paper, opt for refillable or eco-friendly ink cartridges, and print double sided.
2. Explore Green Lighting Options
Did you know that lighting accounts for over 5% of global CO2 emissions? That’s because traditional incandescent bulbs convert only 10% of the energy they use into light – the other 90% is wasted as heat.
Keeping your home office well lit is important for your health and productivity. But, when possible, make the most of natural lighting. Make sure your home office is in a room with a window, and position your desk where it will receive the most natural light. If you can’t make use of natural light, there are several eco-friendly lighting options you can try instead. These include:
- Energy-saving light bulbs, which use less energy than traditional bulbs and last longer
- LED light bulbs, which consume up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting
- Low-wattage task lighting, such as desk lamps that provide focused light without excessive power use
For even more efficiency, consider smart lighting solutions that allow you to control your lights remotely or set them to turn off when you’re not in the room. Motion-sensor lights are also a great option for reducing energy waste.
3. Choose Sustainable Furniture
While flat-pack “fast” furniture is a cheap and popular option for home offices, it can have a detrimental effect on the environment. Often mass produced with low-cost materials, fast furniture is typically not built to last. As a result, it’s discarded frequently. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 8.5 million tons of office furniture end up in landfills annually in the US alone. This volume of waste not only strains landfill capacities but also represents a loss of valuable materials that could be recycled or repurposed.
When decorating your office, try to buy furniture from responsible manufacturers that rely on sustainable resources and design products that last. Look for certifications such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or GREENGUARD, which show that the materials are sourced responsibly and have low chemical emissions.
Another option is to buy secondhand furniture. It’s inexpensive, saves resources, and often lasts a long time. You can find pre-owned furniture in these places:
- Websites such as eBay or Preloved
- Apps and social media, such as Facebook Marketplace
- Thrift stores and charity shops
- Through neighbors, friends, and family
By choosing sustainable or secondhand furniture, you’re not only reducing environmental impact but also contributing to a circular economy that values reuse and longevity. You can also get rid of your old furniture through the same channels, reducing your waste even further!
4. Avoid Food Waste
Food waste alone accounts for 8–10% of annual global man-made greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US!
Not only does food waste contribute to climate change, but it also represents a massive waste of resources. Producing, transporting, and storing food that ultimately gets thrown away uses up land, water, and energy unnecessarily.
Working from home means you’ll probably be eating at home more often, so it’s important to control the amount of waste you produce in your kitchen. Here are some ways you can reduce food waste:
- Keep track of the food you have and when it needs to be used. Make a habit of checking your fridge and pantry before you shop, so you don’t buy what you already have.
- Plan meals in advance and buy only what you need for them. Meal planning helps prevent overbuying and ensures that what you purchase actually gets used.
- Store food appropriately. Keep your fridge at the optimal temperature (below 5°C or 41°F) and use airtight containers to preserve freshness.
- Freeze fresh fruit and vegetables to preserve them. If you can’t use them right away, freezing is an excellent way to extend their life.
- Batch cook meals and freeze them in portions. This not only saves time but also prevents food from spoiling before you can use it.
- Compost food scraps, such as vegetable peels and eggshells. Composting reduces landfill waste and turns organic matter into nutrient-rich soil.
You can also limit packaging waste by choosing food that comes in recyclable or compostable containers, buying in bulk where possible, and bringing your own reusable bags and containers when shopping.
5. Develop Energy-Saving Habits
Creating an eco-friendly home office isn’t just about making one-off changes. Long-term energy-saving habits can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and help protect the planet.
Here are some sustainable habits you can start practicing today:
- Switch off and unplug electronics when not in use. Even when powered down, many devices continue to draw energy, a phenomenon known as “phantom power.” In the US alone, phantom power costs consumers over $19 billion annually.
- Make use of energy-saving settings on your devices. Most computers and monitors have eco-modes that reduce power consumption when idle. Enabling these settings can extend your device’s lifespan and lower your energy bills.
- If you’re home alone, heat only the room you work in and make sure it’s draft-proof. Lots of heat is lost through drafts, so sealing gaps around windows and doors is an easy way to conserve energy.
- Take breaks from your screen when not working. Not only is it good for your eyes and productivity, but stepping away from your screen also reduces unnecessary power consumption.
- Consider investing in a smart meter to keep track of your energy use. Smart meters give you real-time insights into how much energy you’re using, helping you identify areas for improvement.
- Install a programmable thermostat. Automatically adjust the temperature based on your schedule, so you’re not wasting energy when you’re not working.
Becoming a Freelancer
If you’re looking for a more eco-friendly career, our online courses can set you on the path to freelancing. By working from home, you’re not only gaining the freedom of flexible work but also contributing to a greener planet. Try some lessons for free and see what we have to offer!
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