As the season turns, April greets us with a silly holiday: April Fool’s Day. Then shortly after, there’s plenty to celebrate. There’s Easter, Passover, Ramadan, International Pillow Fight Day, and Look-alike Day. But in our growing world, Earth Day is fast becoming a very important holiday in April.
As I’ve become more immersed in learning about Climate Change and Earth Day, I found it more and more intriguing to read about. And with that said, I believe it’s our duty as business owners and humans to pay attention to the habits that may contribute to global warming!
When I started to work from home (WFH) 25 years ago, I knew my personal reasons for staying home were going to lead to a healthier life. I got to spend more time with my kids, work at my own pace, and enjoy my life a little more; but, in hindsight, one of the healthiest outcomes of working from home became my lessened impact on the earth!
In my reading on climate change, I learned that “working from home four days a week would reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide, which is the main pollutant generated by traffic emissions, by around 10%” from this Forbes article on the eco-friendliness of WFH. It made me wonder, how much I was going to save by working from home 5 days a week?!
Between not needing to drive to and from an office, not driving my car at lunchtime, and not going out for coffee every morning, I saved more than just traffic pollution. By not buying food out (which, if I ordered to-go meant it was encased in plastic) or ordering coffee in the morning (also a plastic nightmare) I was helping to cut down on my personal waste footprint in several ways! And, of course, creating a fully remote business with remotely contracted VAs was another healthy bonus.
Whether you work from home or are still in the office, I found some tips to help you become more eco-friendly in your professional life. Most are super easy to implement!
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs.
- Limit heating/cooling – work outside when possible or wear layers to stay warm!
- If you aren’t entirely “in the cloud,” try using reusable products like erasable notebooks, dry-erase boards, or reusable cups.
- Pack your lunch or snacks in reusable containers
- Add plants to your home and office for a green view and several health benefits!
Just to name a few. In general, reducing your gas emissions (i.e. driving), using fewer plastic products, and conserving your electricity (i.e. turn it off when it’s not being used!) can also help make strides towards a cleaner climate. Big-picture changes could include switching to an electric car, utilizing solar or wind energy, growing your own produce, and/or cutting down on animal products.
How you choose to be more sustainable is totally up to you, so remember, every small change can lead to a big difference when it comes to helping the planet as a whole!
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