4 Great Eco-friendly Office Gadgets
Going green may seem overwhelming at times, but there are numerous options that offices can employ to reduce their carbon footprints and to utilize environmentally friendly gadgets while not sacrificing work quality. Technology is constantly improving, especially in the area of energy and resource efficiency. Eco-friendly gadgets of all types abound, and the following four great, green office gadgets will help businesspeople conduct business in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.
Hand-Powered Paper Shredder
Shredding once-important documents with sensitive information for disposal is a common practice in most offices, but using electric shredders can consume quite a bit of electricity. The Hand-Powered Paper Shredder offered by uncommongoods.com allows the employee to shred up to three documents at once without using any electricity. All a person has to do is to twist two end caps in the opposite direction in order to shred the documents as thoroughly as would an electric counterpart. This handy hand-powered shredder also allows its users to burn off some of that built-up office stress while working the end caps, leading to less tension in the workplace.
USB Cell Batteries
The use of built-in rechargeable battery cells has long been on the rise, but disposable batteries are still used in numerous office devices like mice, remotes, etc. Disposing of these batteries is environmentally unfriendly at the best of times, and most people simply throw the dead batteries in the garbage can. Fortunately, USBCell has released batteries that users can simply recharge over and over again using any USB port on a computer or charging station. Instead of throwing away dozens of batteries a year and leaving them to drip harmful, acidic chemicals into groundwater supplies, office workers can now simply recharge their wireless mouse or remote batteries when they get low.
Cables Unlimited Eco-Friendly Battery-Free USB Wireless Optical Mouse
Speaking of wireless mouse batteries, Cables has released a wireless mouse that receives it operating power directly from its mouse pad. The wired mouse pad plugs into a USB port, but the mouse itself is wireless and battery-free. The mouse works using RFID technology and features all of the buttons to which people have become accustomed to on their mice. Users can enjoy the freedom of a wireless mouse without having to constantly replace or recharge batteries for use in said mouse, helping the environment along the way.
EcoStapler
The stapler has long been an office staple, anchoring desk corners and attaching papers to one another for decades. Few people question the efficiency of staplers, and few people view thin, metal staples as a grave environmental threat. While staples themselves are unlikely to be responsible for overflowing landfills, using fewer staples will save on metal in the long run. The EcoStapler uses a folding technique to affix up to three sheets of paper together, reducing the need for staples and paper clips. This stapler is small and cheap, costing roughly the same in space and money as does a normal, metal-using stapler.
There are numerous other eco-friendly office gadgets out there; larger office equipment like computers and copiers are also often available in more economical designs. Employers and employees alike can investigate these and other alternative green equipment choices that can be used to help offices run more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly way. Numerous office supplies are made of recycled materials, and many electronic devices use new technology to consume less energy than ever. The future is bright for eco-friendly office supplies; these four great examples represent only a small sample size of the numerous possibilities available to energy-conscious business people.
Hugh Rounder is an sustainable business executive director and guest author at Business MBA, where he contributed the guide to the Top 10 Best MBA Programs in Sustainable Business
Going green may seem overwhelming at times, but there are numerous options that offices can employ to reduce their carbon footprints and to utilize environmentally friendly gadgets while not sacrificing work quality. Technology is constantly improving, especially in the area of energy and resource efficiency. Eco-friendly gadgets of all types abound, and the following four great, green office gadgets will help businesspeople conduct business in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.
Hand-Powered Paper Shredder
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cc licensed flickr photo shared by Sh4rp_i |
USB Cell Batteries
The use of built-in rechargeable battery cells has long been on the rise, but disposable batteries are still used in numerous office devices like mice, remotes, etc. Disposing of these batteries is environmentally unfriendly at the best of times, and most people simply throw the dead batteries in the garbage can. Fortunately, USBCell has released batteries that users can simply recharge over and over again using any USB port on a computer or charging station. Instead of throwing away dozens of batteries a year and leaving them to drip harmful, acidic chemicals into groundwater supplies, office workers can now simply recharge their wireless mouse or remote batteries when they get low.
Cables Unlimited Eco-Friendly Battery-Free USB Wireless Optical Mouse
Speaking of wireless mouse batteries, Cables has released a wireless mouse that receives it operating power directly from its mouse pad. The wired mouse pad plugs into a USB port, but the mouse itself is wireless and battery-free. The mouse works using RFID technology and features all of the buttons to which people have become accustomed to on their mice. Users can enjoy the freedom of a wireless mouse without having to constantly replace or recharge batteries for use in said mouse, helping the environment along the way.
EcoStapler
The stapler has long been an office staple, anchoring desk corners and attaching papers to one another for decades. Few people question the efficiency of staplers, and few people view thin, metal staples as a grave environmental threat. While staples themselves are unlikely to be responsible for overflowing landfills, using fewer staples will save on metal in the long run. The EcoStapler uses a folding technique to affix up to three sheets of paper together, reducing the need for staples and paper clips. This stapler is small and cheap, costing roughly the same in space and money as does a normal, metal-using stapler.
There are numerous other eco-friendly office gadgets out there; larger office equipment like computers and copiers are also often available in more economical designs. Employers and employees alike can investigate these and other alternative green equipment choices that can be used to help offices run more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly way. Numerous office supplies are made of recycled materials, and many electronic devices use new technology to consume less energy than ever. The future is bright for eco-friendly office supplies; these four great examples represent only a small sample size of the numerous possibilities available to energy-conscious business people.
Hugh Rounder is an sustainable business executive director and guest author at Business MBA, where he contributed the guide to the Top 10 Best MBA Programs in Sustainable Business
