As businesses become more aware of the environmental impact of print advertising, many become reluctant to include printed media in their advertising campaigns. But the value of having “hard copy” versions of text, graphics and design work are indisputable, so the common sense approach is to design print advertising campaigns that implement the three “R’s” — reduce, reuse and recycle. By insisting on eco-friendly print practices, companies not only save money but attract new customers by doing their part to conserve precious natural resources.

Recycled Paper Stock

The first consideration is the kind of paper selected for any envelopes, business cards, posters, flyers, invitations, tickets, stationary and material distributed at presentations. Thanks to the success of paper and cardboard recycling campaigns for the past 25 years, there is no shortage of “gently used” paper that is easy to recycle into new products for a fraction of the energy it takes to harvest a living tree and turn it into paper pulp. Not only is recycled paper cheaper, it also has more “character” to make your materials look “organic” and less phony and manufactured.

The familiar recycle logo with the three revolving arrows naturally becomes an integral part of any “green” advertising campaign. When you commit to exclusively using recycled paper products, your company can proudly display the recycle logo on all printed materials — as well as digital media — to show you team has adapted a progressive and ecologically-minded attitude, which can heavily influence the customer’s ultimate selection.

Consider integrating other clever recycled paper product for single-use items — like coasters and invitations — that integrate wildflower seeds into a paper stock that dissolves easily, thereby encouraging the end-user to continue the recycling process by planting it in their yard. Another trendy alternative are the new “tree-free” paper products that use bamboo, hemp or the organic waste from orchards and commercial coffee operations.

Soy-based Inks

Traditional ink production involves the use of heavy metals and releases VOC (volatile organic compounds) into the atmosphere. Innovative printers use soy-based inks that are durable, have rich colors and quick-drying properties that make it an excellent choice for digital reproduction technology. Soy-based inks are made from renewable resources and use ethyl lactate, which is considered to be the “greenest” solvent available today. Some companies have even devised projects recycling pencil stubs into eco-friendly inks. Another positive outcome to using soy-based inks is that your final product requires less heat to break down, so it is even more easily recycled.

Eco-Friendly Printer Shop Practices

Just because you select green materials you don’t necessarily have an eco-friendly final product unless care is taken selecting the print shop. Any printer who advertises as being “green” will be glad to show you proof of proper disposal of harmful solvents and chemicals. You can also look for signs of energy-saving techniques such as computer-controlled automation that reduces paper waste and strict in-house recycling practices. Of course, digital offset presses are the best because they can incorporate your eco-friendly products into high-quality promotional materials that resist scratching and fading.

Eco-Friendly Publicity Campaigns

To share your environmentally-conscious attitude with the world, integrate this message into all of your copy, graphics and digital media. Take the opportunity to create a “warm, fuzzy” public relations campaign to emphasize your commitment to sensible, sustainable practices so your audience associates your company with the green movement. Such strategies can be subtly used to increase the effectiveness of your overall company image and paint your profile with that ever popular green tint.

Often our office environment is not the most eco-friendly place to be, but there are a few sample additions you can make that will not only reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by all the plastic and electronics, but will give your office space a natural touch that makes it more comfortable for and more inviting for clients and co-workers.

Bamboo Office Chair Mats

Instead of having an ugly, lint attracting clear plastic floor protector under your desk chair, consider an eco-friendly bamboo chair mat that adds an elegant accent to your home office decor. The smooth surface is just perfect for rolling around your desk chair and they are much more durable than they look. The strongest portion of the bamboo is coated with seven sealants that resist scuffs and fading from UV rays and is stain resistant. The natural colored bamboo mats are very eco-friendly since their materials are harvested in sustainable rain forest environments.

Cork Tiles

Cork is harvested from living trees, and therefore considered a renewable resource that supports free trade since cultivation is usually a family skill handed down throughout the generations. Acoustical cork tiles can be mounted on your office walls to increase your privacy and damp outdoor sounds, and since a are “self-healing,” they make great bulletin boards. If you have to stand for long periods of time in your office, consider getting some recycled wine cork floor tiles to either install or just lay on top of the floor in the areas where you are most active, because they are soft and flexible and thereby help ease muscles strain and aching feet. They will even stand up to high heels and pet claws and are easy to clean an extremely durable.

Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP)

Fresh cut flowers and potted plants give any office a healthy dose of the great outdoors, but many are manufactured under questionable circumstances and impose hardships on their workers and the regions where they are produced. To avoid contributing to these kinds of practices, the next time you order flowers or plants for your office — or as a gift to a client — considered choosing one of the 4500 florist worldwide who have been certified as having fair production standards from the field all the way to your door.

Recycled Office Supplies

The art of reusing common items like paper, cardboard and plastics has been taken to a new degree by office supply manufacturers who realize they cannot only attract ego-conscious consumers but reduce their dependence on raw materials and cut down their overhead as well. Just about everything you use on a daily basis in an office can be purchased as recycled material — especially copy paper, file folders, disc holders, post-it notes and even trash bags — and a few that might surprise you, like ink-jet cartridges, filing cabinets, storage boxes and many common lunch-room products.

An office worker, on average, spends eight to ten hours a day during the week in the office. Proper lighting is essential not only for proper vision, but it affects the worker and the office in many other ways. Quality lighting not only controls how well your employees can see what they are working on, but can affect mood, and overall health of your workers.

Poor and improper lighting will result in fatigue, tired and burning eyes, headaches, and eyestrain. These in turn can evolve into sick days and missed work. While in the office, these problems simply turn into poor productivity, making the company lose money in the long run.

Any good lighting scheme will include natural sunlight as much as possible. This is the quality of light the mind and the eye are best suited for, and will give the least problems. However, in many cases, sunlight isn’t possible, and even when there is adequate window light, it is still not sufficient to fulfil all of the office lighting needs.

Secondary lighting should come from a general, broad light source, such as traditional overhead lighting. And finally, lighting for specific areas and tasks need to be added to supplement the general lighting. This type of lighting will include desk lamps, reading lamps, wall and floor lamps, accent lighting, etc.

Lighting should also be selected that fits and complements the overall decor of the office. Besides the utilitarian function of good lighting, proper attention to light styles and sources can do a lot to give the office an appealing ambiance. Special attention to lighting should be given to locations such as the reception area, conference rooms, etc. where guests to your office will frequent. A well thought out lighting design can go a long way to making that great first impression.

And finally, lighting should be energy and cost efficient, and easy to control to suit the task at hand. Modern light fixtures and bulbs have come a long way in providing proper light without being a drain on our precious natural resources.

Choosing the right light for your office is an important decision, and one that can help improve your bottom line in productivity, absenteeism, impressing new clients, and energy costs.

Whether you work from home or work from an office you spend a lot of time behind your desk. The wrong position can wreak havoc on your entire body. Tension builds up in your back, circulation is cut off to your legs, you’re a mess- so what do you do about it? Get ergonomic.

How to Set Your Self Up Right

Proper sitting position can help you improve your physical well-being and improve your performance at work. An uneasy body can be severely incapacitated long before you even realize there is a problem. Sitting in a comfortable but well supported position keeps your blood flowing and your mind functioning well. A few points to consider when taking a closer look at your current office situation are:

1: Your Seat

Does your chair have proper lumbar support? A good chair is well worth the cost you pay for it. Make sure it has adjustable support for lower back, and fits your body and supports your shoulders as well. Keep your chair in proper working order. Little tilts can mean you have to compensate for movements and hold the chair steady putting further stress on yourself.

2: Level of Activity

Make sure your arms are held at a proper 45 degree angle and your wrists appropriately bent. A good ergonomic keyboard and a desk with an adjustable rather than stationary keyboard holder will make it easier to place yourself in the correct and comfortable position.

3: The Eyes Have it

Eyestrain is a common problem for people who spend a lot of time behind a computer screen. The height of your monitor and distance from your seat will make a big difference in your comfort and well-being. Getting an adjustable monitor stand can allow you to raise and lower your monitor so it is at perfect eye level as well as move it forward or back easy to adjust for your position.

4: Pain in the Neck

Neck pain is one of the most common complaints of office workers but rarely to people understand that neck pain is not often caused by neck position but rather arm and wrist position. Strain on the upper back and shoulders makes muscles in the neck bunch to compensate and develops spasms and knots. Adding adjustable arms supports added to your work station as well as ergonomic keyboards help reduce arm and shoulder strain and ease the pressure on your neck muscles.

5: Wrist pain

Carpel tunnel is the most common work related injury and it is avoidable. A good keyboard station, an ergonomic mouse pad that allows easy fluid movement and is curved to move the wrist instead of holding it in a stationary position are all easy to accomplish things that will relieve pressure on that sensitive tendon in your wrists.

Paying attention to the little things that keep your body comfortable and supported will ensure you have a long productive life free and be the successful person you know you can be.

When it comes to arranging a modern office workstation, you don’t have the luxury of just throwing some things together without giving thought to comfort or productivity. For the employee who spends eight hours a day at their workstation, getting the most out of their work day takes careful consideration. The following list of the five best office workstations will give you a basic idea of some of the office plans that could work together to make the ideal work station:

* Comfort: The planner who designs a workstation for the comfort of the employees is using his expertise to his advantage. If the work space is ergonomically correct, you can expect a higher quality and quantity of work from your employees. Each workstation should be measured and planned according to the height and weight of each employee. The chairs should be swivel models, and easy on the back. The distance between the keyboard and employee should be measured as well, to ensure that they will not be susceptible to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or Tendenitis.

* Computer Settings: You want to make sure that the brightness of the computer monitor is easy on the eyes. The size of the monitor is important as well. If your employees are going to be using the computer for long hours everyday, then a large screen is recommended, so the images can be viewed quickly and correctly without straining the eyes.

* Cubby Set Up: Offices no longer design their work space for their employees in small isolated cubby spaces. Time has proven that this setup which was originally designed for privacy and a higher quantity of work, are not effective or productive. Today’s modern cubby spaces are more open, allowing the employees to feel like they are part of a team.

Headsets: Time has proven to be an enemy for workers who have to hand hold their telephones. Invest in headsets for your employees, and this will not only add to the comfort level, but it will also save you a bundle, since you won’t have worker’s compensation claims for the medical conditions your workers suffer when they are not provided with a hand-free telephone system.

Storage Space: It’s critical to ensure that each work station has sufficient storage capacity. This will result in a desktop that is free of clutter, and an employee who is more productive and organized, resulting in higher quanity and quality of work.

If you work in an office then chances are that you know what stuffy air feels like. Office space, coupled with the high population of workers and long hours, has the potential to begin to feel and smell quite stale. The technical reason for this is that as the workers breath, they breath in the fresh oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide. A room filled with carbon dioxide makes people feel claustrophobic and enhances anxiety. One solution to this issue is to introduce several office plants to the space.

Plants breath carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen therefore having a purifying effect on office air. In addition to plants having a scientific benefit to an office, they also have the ability to soften the look of a bright, unnatural fluorescently lit office. Hang some from the ceiling and encourage workers to put plants on their desks for decoration. Office plants also have the ability to improve productivity because of the oxygen enriched air they emit.

Another benefit of plants in the office is that they have the ability reduce the noise level. If you work in an office where there is lots of marble structures or concrete floors, plants will work to absorb and diffuse noise, making the office a more relaxing place to be. Besides noise reduction, plants also keep humidity at a perfect and comfortable level. People who spend large amounts of time in dry air environments have been known to be more susceptible to the cold and flu. If plants are controlling the humidity of the office air, fewer workers will fall ill which means greater productivity for the company.

Finally, studies have shown that plants absorb dangerous toxins, such as those emitted from computers or copiers. This may not have been something that people consider, but office equipment is quite dangerous when in small, unventilated rooms. Plants can work to curb the amount of toxins in the air that employees are breathing.

Indeed, not only do plants improve the appearance of an office, but they have many health benefits for employees that are there on a daily basis. Studies have shown many lasting benefits of making an office a greener place.