It is easy to throw caution to the wind when the office is paying for supplies, business travel and other expenses. But there are many simple things you can do in your office to make it more eco-friendly, and to encourage your coworkers to be more eco-aware. Try some of these helpful ways to conserve energy, materials and work through the day with a cleaner eco-conscience.

Opt for daylight instead of overhead institutional lighting. If you have an office space with windows or skylights, think about turning off the lights until it gets too dark to work. You'll save energy and money for the building, and you'll look better in daylight, too!

Think before you print. Do you really need every page of a report printed out for review? Think before you print internal documents, and see if you can read them on the screen instead of wasting paper. If you must print, make sure to use the "preview" function first, and only print the pages you need.

Encourage your office supply manager to purchase recycled paper so that you save acres of forest from being cut down to produce virgin paper.

Try double-sided copies when photocopying books or other documents. That side of a sheet can save you reams and reams of copy paper in the long run.

Refill your inkjet printer cartridges instead of throwing them away. You can refill cartridges up to 6 times before they are fully spent. Once that happens, you can recycle them and keep plastic out of the landfills. If you can't refill your cartridges, see if your printer manufacturer has a recycling program, like Hewlett Packard's.

Keep a reusable mug at your desk. This way you can get your daily coffee or tea fix without purchasing unnecessary paper and Styrofoam cups.

Use one less napkin at lunch. Don't accept that stack of napkins from your regular lunch place. If every office worker used just one less napkin, the paper that ends up in the waste stream would be significantly reduced!

If you're in the market for new electronics, buy energy-efficient imaging equipment and printers. You'll outfit the place with the newest technologies and save the office money on its electricity bill.

Carpool with colleagues. In addition to lowering the amount of carbon you'll emit in separate cars, you will all also save on gas prices, parking fees and tolls!

Remember to unplug electronics and turn off power strips before you go home for the day. All those unused pieces of equipment are quietly drawing power from the walls, and costing you money on your electricity bill!

Try videoconferencing more often, reducing the need for business travel. Traveling by air is the biggest air pollution offender amongst the ways to travel, so if you can set up a video conference, you'll reduce your office's carbon emissions exponentially.

If you must travel for work, stay at "green hotels." These hotels are sprouting up all over the country, offering optional linen service (to conserve water), reduced energy use and improved indoor air quality.

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