Five more ways to reduce your carbon footprint

Improving your company's energy efficiency is an essential part of any strategyBefore Christmas, we spoke about the the top five ways organisations can reduce their carbon footprint. Now that we're into the New Year, it's clear climate change is going to remain at the top of the agenda, with Gordon Brown recently announcing he will push through with plans to build on the deal reached at the Copenhagen Summit and reach a legally binding climate change agreement within several years.

Businesses may soon find themselves under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint as international pressure builds to meet reduction targets. We thought we'd help you get a head start, so here are five more ways you can help reduce your carbon footprint and do your bit to sustain an environmentally-friendly business strategy.

Unplug chargers
Laptop chargers, phone chargers - any charger that is plugged into a wall socket should be unplugged when not in use. Chargers can use an astounding 95% of power when not connected to a device, and can significantly contribute to a firm's energy output.

Print responsibly
Most office printing can be avoided. Staff should be encouraged to print only when necessary and ask themselves if they truly need a hard copy. Good practice should also be taught; staff can copy and paste the relevant parts of an email into a Word document and print that off instead. This may also avoid printing heavy colour based signatures and company logos.

Buy energy-efficient efficient equipment
Logos and standards can help you get the most from your equipment and save the most amount of money on your energy bills. Appliances are rated from A to G, with A being the most energy efficient. The Energy Star rating on computer and electronic equipment relates to the most energy efficient devices so ensure all your equipment carries the Energy Star rating. In addition, the Energy Saving Recommended logo can be found on insulation, lightbulbs and other fittings; products carrying the mark will save companies around £45 per year.

Make fewer business trips
Before you travel on business, ask yourself if you really need to travel. With so many digital communication methods available today, do you really need to meet face to face? If a meeting is unavoidable ensure you use more energy efficient methods of travel, such as trains and buses rather than planes.

Turn your computer off regularly
This may come as a surprise, but a computer left unused for more than 16 minutes will be more energy efficient if it is turned on rather than left on. Make sure your staff use the sleep mode and turn off equipment when going home for the day.

As climate change gets ever more important, organisations will find these tips invaluable. Check out our carbon reduction tips from earlier. For more information on reducing your carbon footprint, get in touch with First Choice Business Systems, specialists in Xerox printer products, on 0800 072 3747.