Recently, The Execu|Search Group has made necessary steps toward “reducing our carbon footprint”, by taking on an environmentally friendly mindset in our NYC office. Simple things such as replacing kitchen products with earth friendly items, changing light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, recycling waste, and e-mailing direct deposit stubs are just a few changes we have recently made.
Greener, more efficient gadgets around the workplace not only make the world a cleaner place, but it dramatically cuts the electricity bill by great amounts. Anyone who runs a business knows that unnecessary waste isn’t good business, so I’m going to show you five energy efficient office gadgets to help keep down the energy and cost levels!
ENERGY EFFICIENT PRINTER
Many companies, including ours, have joined the “print free pledge” and started using less material to do the same job. Scanning instead of faxing, re-using office supplies, and not printing out so many e-mails can save mass amounts of paper and $$. If you don’t want to feel so bad about printing out paper, The HP LaserJet P4015× Printer can reduce energy by up to 50% with the “Instant On” technology. Knowing that this printer is enviro-conscious will make anyone feel less guilty after printing out a stack of paper. Just pair it with 100% recycled paper and you’ll be on your way.
WATER-POWERED CALCULATOR
Have you ever been sitting at your desk, working frantically and suddenly your calculator dies while there are no batteries in sight? You’re left staring at your bottled water in dismay. With this water-powered calculator, you can put that H20 to good use by filling up the two battery tubes and you’ll be set for months to go. Disposable batteries die and end up filling up landfills and your expensive rechargeable batteries become misplaced. These water powered batteries produce the same amount of energy as common alkaline batteries without being toxic.
DESKTOP COMPUTER
At many companies, including ours, every employee is on their computer for 8-10 hours a day. Computers use a lot of energy, so why not invest in machines that use less overall? Your business could save on monthly energy bills by using energy-friendly computers.
One computer that is the epitome of affordable and energy efficient is the Apple Mac Mini. “Mac mini uses energy efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power… Mac OS X never misses a power-saving opportunity, no matter how small. It even regulates the processor between keystrokes, reducing power between the letters you type. That’s just one of many ways Apple manages small amounts of power that add up to big savings.” This machine received a gold rating from Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Took, and meets the low power requirements set by the EPA, who gave it ENERGY STAR qualification.
SOLAR GADGET CHARGER
The portable and small solar panel kit by Solar Gorilla can power a laptop. The panels can produce 10W of power in direct sunlight, which is enough to change a number of your electronic goods!
THE ECO BUTTON
The Eco Button is a great way for any company to save money and the environment just by the click of a button. This globe-shaped USB device allows you to power down your computer every time you step away. Computers use a lot of energy; you can save money and know you’re doing your part to help conserve energy by easily powering down when you aren’t at your computer.
These gadgets are all making it possible for everyone to have a greener and cleaner future. Tell us which gadgets you or your office is using to conserve energy in the comments below!
Dustin Willoughby
Interactive Resources
