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Your office or business is just like your home and you can improve its energy efficiency, water efficiency, reduce waste and your carbon footprint. Here's a list of 10 things you can do at work to decrease your environmental footprint as well as your company's footprint.

1. Develop an Energy Efficiency Plan - In order to really know how well your office is running, perform an energy efficiency audit or hire a professional to come in and look at your office. Whether you own the building or rent the space, you can make some big improvements. Look for the low hanging fruit first, like changing out light bulbs and installing timers. After figuring out where improvements are needed, make a long term plan and stick to it.

2. Recycle - If you don't already have a recycling program in effect, start one today. Recycling is easy and may even help your business save money. The recycling programs available in the Park City area are very impressive and can handle almost any item that can be recycled. Take advantage of the free assistance, advice and training programs from Recycle Utah

3. Conserve Energy - Wherever possible, look to conserve energy by turning off lights, computers, equipment and any other device when it is not needed. Plug computers and other equipment into power strips and make sure they are off at the end of the day. Learn about Phantom Loads and how to keep them from sucking up power. Also make sure all computers in your office have the right power management settings to avoid wasting energy.

4. Buy Green - Set the purchasing policies in your office to only buy environmentally friendly products like recycled content paper, stationary, paper towels, toilet paper, and more. Precycle when buying products and look for items with minimal packaging and that are durable or easy to recycle. Choose only non-toxic cleaning products, low VOC paints and furniture, or items made from recycled or renewable materials. Always look for and buy the most environmentally friendly product you can.

5. Go Paperless - Minimize or even eliminate paper use in your office. Pay bills online, download e-statements, save documents digitally and eliminate faxes and copies. The less paper you use, the better for the environment, and the less money you'll spend on paper, copy machines, printers, cartridges and mail.

6. Buy ENERGY STAR - When purchasing new equipment, electronics, heating and cooling systems, appliances or computers, look for the most energy efficient model you can find, which will be ENERGY STAR labeled. Don't settle for anything less.

7. Encourage Alternative Transportation - Help your employees or coworkers get motivated about alternative and more fuel efficient transportation. If it is within the means of your company's budget, offer incentives, like prizes, cash bonuses, or matching funds for those employees who commute to work via foot, bike, carpools, public transportation or even fuel efficient vehicle. Encourage the use of the FREE Park City Bus System, rideshare programs and the extensive trail system.

8. Upgrade Water Fixtures - Make your office more water efficient by replacing wasteful water fixtures with more efficient ones. Look for low flow water fixtures, like sink faucets, toilets and even showers. Also look for ENERGY STAR clothes and dishwashers, which also help conserve water.

9. Buy Green Power or Carbon Offsets - After making your office more energy efficient, look to reduce your carbon footprint even further by buying green power from renewable energy through Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky Program. To further offset your carbon emissions from travel and transportation look into buying carbon offsets, which pay for carbon reduction projects in other places.

10. Buy Local - And finally, support other locally owned businesses in the area. By supporting local businesses, we can help pump or own economy back up and support each other. Look into buying office supplies, catered lunches, promotional materials, advertising, and more through local companies. Buy Local and help support our Park City community.
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