Most people want to do the right thing with their business and want their business to be green. Most people just don’t know where to start. This list will help you go green in your office in a few simple ways.

Here are a few simple ways to go green in your office:

1. Carpool

According to The Nature Conservancy, Americans spend more than 3.7 billion hours and 23 billion gallons of gas commuting to work every year. An easy way to get your associates to cut their carbon footprint is to implement a carpool program. Or, for a totally free and green commute, allow associates to telecommute a one or two days every week.

2. Take the Stairs

Encourage associates to take the stairs rather than using elevators. This not only saves energy, but is also healthier for your associates.

3. Save Paper

Print on both sides of paper or don’t print at all. If you’re going to print, use chlorine-free paper made with a high percentage of post consumer waste. Recycled paper takes 60 to 70 percent less energy to produce than paper from virgin pulp. Also, make sure you recycle all of the paper you use when you’re done with it.

4. Save Energy

The easiest way to save energy in your office is to turn off all electronic and lights when they’re not in use. To do this, start by making sure all computers and copiers go into a sleep mode at the end of the day. Then, install occupancy sensors around the office that will automatically turn off lights when rooms aren’t in use.

5. Get Indoor Plants

Did you know that having plants around your office can help keep your office cool? Plants cool air through a process called transpiration that transfers water from plants into the atmosphere. This allows plants to act as a natural air conditioner, which means your office will be cooler on warm summer days.

6. Replace Paper Towels

Replace paper towels with hand dryers. Hand dryers are the greener choice for hand drying in about 95 percent of circumstances. They not only cost less to use (between .02 cents and .18 cents in electricity per dry vs a paper towel that typically costs about 1 cent per sheet), they also save energy. In fact, it takes more energy to manufacture a recycled paper towel than it does to operate a hand dryer.

7. Use Green Cleaning Products

Avoid cleaning products that contain dangerous chemicals like phthalates and formaldehyde. Instead, use a green cleaning product, like Simple Green. Simple Green is non-toxic, biodegradable and it’s fragrance free to reduce the impact on indoor air quality.