Here are some tips on using technology to work quicker, greener and a lot smarter.
SmallBusiness.co.uk teamed up with office technology expert Brother to provide tips on using technology to work quicker, greener and a lot smarter.
• Cut your paper bill in half by printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Many printer models have a duplex (double-sided) print function which can be set as the default function for all documents. Not only will this save you money but it can halve your office paper consumption.
• Turn off your monitor when you go for lunch, a meeting or even a tea break. And turn off your PC and printer if you’re not going to be using them for a few hours. This can reduce the energy consumption of your IT by up to 70 per cent, according to the Carbon Trust.
• Use telephone and video conferencing facilities wherever possible to cut down on fuel emissions and travel costs.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with low energy versions – these are available even for halogen fittings. In any case, incandescent bulbs will be phased out in the UK by 2011, so get ahead of the game and start saving money now.
• Ban plastic cups. Not only is it a wasteful and unnecessary resource, it also takes up to 80 years to decompose.
• Set up a recycling scheme. Paper collection services are available in many areas. Visit the Community Recycling Network website www.crn.org.uk for a list of schemes in your area.
• Offices that use laser printers can minimise waste by recycling their toner cartridges. For example, Brother has a free recycling scheme for its toner cartridges and provides pre-paid postage labels to make returning used cartridges easy.
• Always consider office technology manufacturers with an accredited environmental standard such as ISO-14001. Also check if they have recycling schemes for hardware and consumables.
• Power your office with green energy. Visit the Carbon Trust for useful information and resources to help make your business greener and more efficient and calculate your business’s carbon footprint using the online tool.
Brother has created a downloadable Print Smart Guide to help businesses save money and reduce their impact on the environment by making better use of their printing technology.
Businesses can sign up to a seven point Print Smart Charter, containing key actions businesses can undertake in order to print smarter. There’s a duplex calculator where you can find out how much you could save by printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Visit www.brother.co.uk/printsmart for further information.
