It's far too easy to leave a gigantic carbon footprint at the office. But with the right gadgets and office equipment, that footprint can be drastically reduced. Last week Mashable shared 5 energy efficient office gadgets that no work place should be without, but I think they left one gigantic item off the list.
Mashable says,
Anyone who runs a business knows that unnecessary waste simply isn't good business. Companies who invest in greener or more energy efficient gadgets around the office save on electricity bills, foster an office based on conscious consumption, and know they are doing what they can to help make the world a cleaner, greener place.
1. Energy Efficient Printer
If you absolutely must print something, be sure your printer is eco-friendly and energy efficient. The HP Laser Jet P4015x reduces energy use by up to 50% with a feature they call "Instant-on" technology.
Often times things could that need be printed could simply be saved, or emailed or converted to a .pdf. Did you know that on most newer computers you can choose to "print to .pdf" instead of actually print to paper?
Try it.
2. Water-Powered Calculator
I use a calculator nearly ever day. Most of the time I quickly hit F12 on my MacBook Pro to bring up my dashboard where I have a handy calculator widget conveniently waiting to do my numerical bidding. If you don't have quick access to a calculator app, widget, or program on your computer, the water-powered calculator pictured above is an easy way to avoid superfluous battery usage around the office.
3. Desktop Computer
Speaking of Macs, Apple's Mac Mini claims to be the world's most affordable and energy efficient computer. According to Apple, "the power supply for Mac mini has been reduced from 110W to 85W and is now up to 90% efficient... A built-in power supply means no plastic housing, less weight, and less cable clutter."
When the Mac Mini is idle, or not in use, it sips a miniscule 10W of power — 25W less than the previous generation.
4. Solar Gadget Charger
Snag an inexpensive solar gadget charger to power your nearly dead phone, pda, mp3 player, or — if you get a charger with big enough panels — your laptop. There's nothing like going off the grid with energy hogging computers and gadgets.
You can essentially turn any office tech into eco-friendly equipment by utilizing solar chargers. The cheapest you can find one that will charge your phone or pda is about $30.
5. The Ecobutton
The Ecobutton is a USB device that allows you to put your computer into sleep mode every time you step away. Computers, like TV's, printers, microwaves, and every other device that plugs into an outlet still draw electricity even when they're not on.
6. Smart Power Strip (The One HUGE Gadget Mashable Forgot)
Smart power strips are the key to all of the above. Smart power strips have a designated control outlet that basically regulates the power draw of the other ones. For example, if you have a desktop computer tower plugged into the control outlet, the other outlets will receive power when the computer is on and will not draw power when the computer is shut down. They also usually have a few outlets that are "always on".
Let's say you're rocking an energy efficient computer that is plugged into the smart strip's control outlet and then your efficient printer, lamp, monitor, and speakers are plugged into some of the other outlets. If your computer is sporting the Ecobutton we talked about above, simply stand up from your desk, press the Ecobutton, and when your computer goes to sleep, your other gadgets stop drawing "phantom energy".
That, my friends, is the be-all, end-all eco-friendly office setup. What other ways to you go green at the office?
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