5 Tips to Green Organization

Green is in.  Green is good.  Unfortunately everyone does not see the need or benefits to participate in the green movement.  Here are a few simple ideas to reduce your carbon foot print while getting organized.

1.  Go paperless.

-Start by setting up automatic payments with your bill providers.  Many of them give you the option to stop receiving paper statements.  This not only reduces the clutter that mail brings into your home, but also saves you time.  You no longer have to take an afternoon out of your busy schedule to sit down and pay bills.  You also save money on checks and stamps!  

2.  Go wireless.

-The less cords you have running around makes your area look clean and organized  and at the same time, when used wirelessly, you are using less power to operate small home electronics.  

3.  Move to the digital age.  

-Paper planners are helpful and I am not recommending that you give up on them. I too use a paper planner.  Lists should never be underestimated!  You can however downsize that 500 page Franklin Covey by using your computer's address book to maintain your contacts and your computer's calendar application to keep track of things.  If you own a Smartphone (Blackberry, iPhone, etc.) you can sync these things to your phone and have them with you at all times.  

4.  Upgrade your lighting to energy efficient bulbs.

-This is probably the most obvious way to help reduce your energy bill, but it also helps you stay on task in a home office environment.  Proper lighting affects your attentiveness and ability to stay on task.  Energy efficient bulbs come in many different light patterns and are more efficient the longer you keep them on which makes them perfect when used in a home office.  

5.  Organize your recycling.  

-The most obvious thing you can do to help the environment is recycle.  However, there are a few things you can purchase to keep your recycled goods organized while the items are awaiting pick up or re-use.  For example, plastic bags (if you must have them) can be reused as lunch bags, small garbage can liners and to collect trash in  your car.  Purchase an under the counter bag organizer (The Container Store has them) to hold the bags until they are used.  Glass, Plastic, Paper and other recyclable goods can be kept neatly in recycling bins.  Many home systems are available that fit neatly in your kitchen and can be hidden away in cabinets.

Organization has many benefits.  Thankfully, you can get organized while also keeping our planet beautiful for many generations to come.