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26 Things You Can Do at Your Office to Save the Earth in Five Minutes or Less

I’ve had a lot of great feedback on my post about taking the CoolPeopleCare.org’s Earth Hour to Earth Day Challenge. It covered the 26 different things you can do every day to help save the planet five-minutes at a time. Here are 26 things you can do at the office for the challenge.

You can start by signing up for Earth Hour to Earth Day Challenge on Twitter for your daily tip.

For each of the 26 days, take five minutes to do one of the following:

1. Turn off ALL lights on Friday when you leave for Saturday’s Earth Hour.
2. On Sunday, make five minutes to take your lunch to work.
3. On Monday, change out one old fashion light bulb to a compact flourescent lighting (CFL) and encourage your staff to do the same.
4. Take five to learn how to control heating and cooling costs.
5. Calculate your monthly commute cost.
6. Promote carpooling through easy online sources like erideShare.com., and with companies in your area like RideShare.com.
   
7. Give up your car and telecommute one day a week during the EH2ED Challenge and see how it goes.
8. If you have to drive, learn how to increase your gas mileage, whether you own a hybrid or not.
9. Tricks and tips for biking to work. This site is pretty good, too. Or the book.
10. Purchasing always loves to hear from you. So forward this site and encourage them to buy greener office products.
11. Opt out of receiving wasteful yellow and white pages printed phone directories.
12. Take five minutes to learn about zero-waste offices. Actually becoming one usually takes a little longer.
13. Pick-up a desk-side recycling bin.
14. Paper comprises up to 40% of the municipal waste stream, so take a minute to learn how you can start a paper recycling program.
15. Give your dead mouse a proper burial. Reduce, reuse and/or recycle old computers and other electronics.
16. Take a second to learn how to recycle printer cartridges.
17. Every company needs to print something, sometime. So start by making a list of green printing companies in your area and then use one.
18. Take five minutes to learn how carbon offsetting works so that you can apply it in your office.
19. Whew, take a five minute break and play “Tip Tank” water conservation concentration game.
20. Locate a green web hosting company to host your Earth-friendly site.
21. Use your blog or website to offset 350 pounds of carbon by placing the Brighter Planet badge on your site.
22. Make your website carbon neutral with a click of your mouse (and a small monthly fee).
23. Wake up five minutes earlier every morning and put that time to use for a green project or thought.
24. Sign up for CoolPeopleCare.org’s daily email on easy things you can do to help the planet five minutes at a time.
25. Donate/recycle your office furniture and computers to Goodwill.
26. Go green with your gifts to employees, colleagues, clients and vendors?

What are you going to do at the office to make a difference for the Earth Hour to Earth Day Challenge? Please let me know by commenting below and/or sending me and your followers an email or tweet.