How to Transform your Office
into one that’s
Kinder to the Environment.
Published by
The Green Office Guide proudly supported byThis guide is produced by the
Auckland Environmental Business Network Inc.
PO Box 147 263
Ponsonby
Auckland
New Zealand
09 817 2622
1A Scotland Street
Freemans Bay
Auckland
New Zealand
www.aebn.pl.net
This guide is also available on-line at www.greenoffice.org.nz, along with a
directory of suppliers of eco-products and services.
The AEBN’s team, Rachel Brown, Caroline Peacock produced the information
contained in the guide with editing support from:
 Andrew Reeve – Sinclair Knight Merz
 Lisa Martin – URS
 Wendy Levi – Meritec
 Simon Stockdale – Sustainability 21
The AEBN wishes to thank the following sponsoring organisations for their
support in producing this guide:
 Auckland City Council
 Auckland Regional Council

Choose the Right Equipment Mix.............................................................. ...................5
Buy New Zealand made............................................................................... ................5
Use Equipment Wisely.................................................................... .............................5
Have a Regular Maintenance Schedule for Equipment.......................................... .......5
Turn Equipment off when Not In Use........................................................... .................6
Choosing a computer............................................................... .........7
Specify What you Want............................................................................... .................7
Make sure you can UPGRADE your Computer..............................................................7
Check Warranties and Service Support.................................................... ....................7
Which Manufacturer?............................................................................... ....................7
Buying Second-hand computers...................................................... ............................8
Reusing Disks and CDs.....................................................................8
Choosing Photocopiers.......................................... ...........................8
Getting rid of your old Photocopier....................................................... .......................8
Choosing a Printer......................................................................... ...8
Choosing a Fax...................................................................... ...........9
Improve Indoor Air Quality & Reducing Electromagnetic Fields...........9
Office Furniture................................................................. .............10
Second hand dealers................................................................. ................................10
Issues for new furniture............................................................... ..............................10
Desks.......................................................................................................... ...............10
Solid Wood Desks.................................................................................................. .....10
Particleboard Furniture...................................................................................... .........10
Chairs......................................................................................................................... 10
Stationery............................................................................. .........10
Paper......................................................................................................................... .10
Letterhead, Business cards and other printed materials...................11
Reassess if you really need to print! .................................................. .......................12
© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page i
Design your Document to reduce waste:............................................ .......................12

Upgrade Lighting........................................................................... .18
Check for Leaks.................................................................. ............18
Reduce volume of water in toilets...................................................18
Reassess Urinals, Showers & Taps...................................................18
Look for Efficient Ways of Drying Hands..........................................19
Cotton Hand Towels..................................................................... ..............................19
Electric Hand Dryers............................................................................ ......................19
Disposable Paper Towels....................................................................... .....................19
Cleaners and Cleaning Services................................................20
Maximise Personal Health and Safety..............................................20
Minimise Environmental Impacts. ..................................................20
© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page ii
Minimise Packaging........................................................ ................20
Avoid Synthetic Dyes & Fragrances.................................................21
Environmental Label Accreditation..................................................21
Look for Safe alternatives................................................ ...............21
Building, Surrounds & Fittings...................................... ............22
Get the Location Right................................................... .................23
Design for the Sun....................................................................... ...23
Minimise Earthworks......................................................................23
Minimise Construction Waste..........................................................24
Design to Minimise Waste.......................................................................... ................24
Dealing With Waste............................................................................................ ........24
Choose Materials Carefully........................................................... ...24
Timber......................................................................................... ..............................24
Alternative Energy Sources......................................................26
Sun Power............................................ .........................................26
Lighting............................................. .....................................27
Conduct a Simple Audit............................................................... ....27
Assess Lighting Requirements........................................................27

© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page iv
Staff Café or Kitchen
Greening the staff café or kitchen can involve using energy and water efficient
fittings, selling locally produced organic food to composting and recycling wastes.
For more detailed information:
Fitting Energy and Water Efficient Appliances & Fixtures
Supplying Organic Foods
Buying Locally Made
Reducing Packaging
Recycling Kitchen Waste
Guidelines for Caterers
Fitting Energy and Water Efficient Appliances & Fixtures
Choose Energy and Water Efficient Appliances
Purchase AAA - ‘triple A’ and Energy Rating labelled appliances
 Purchase highest possible ’A’ rating. .A dishwasher with the ‘triple A’ rating
uses water efficiently.
 Purchase highest possible Energy Rating e.g. a fridge or dishwasher with more
stars uses less electricity
 Buy new "Smart" appliances that use "fuzzy logic" to think ahead, e.g.
refrigerators that adjust temperatures to suit individual opening habits, or
dishwashers and washing machines that control water levels according to
load.
 Build in a range hood or extractor fan to eliminate cooking smells and
moisture.
 Install a switch that automatically turns storage cupboard lights on and off
when door opens and closes.
 Conduct regular maintenance check-ups, checking for leaks or faulty
appliances. Make sure that staff knows who to report to if leaks are found.
Special Note:
EnergyStar features are part of the US EPA programme for office

 Install water filters to deliver optimum quality drinking water.
Supplying Organic Foods
The Staff Café or kitchen is a great way of promoting healthy eating within your
work environment. The production of food rates pretty highly as an activity that
degrades our environment, but there are a number of things you can do to
reduce that. Organic food is not only better for you, but it is produced without the
use of toxic chemicals and pesticides, thereby protecting our environment and
also providing tastier and more nutritious food.
For further reading on diet and health www.nhf.org.nz
Also consider:
 Using natural pest deterrents e.g. a Bay Leaf and herbs in dry foods to deter
weevils.
 Using a food-safe to keep out insects
Buying Locally Made
Buy local fresh food that is in season. Transporting food across the country uses
energy, decreases the food's vitality and increases the chances of food wastage.
Reducing packaging
Packaging can be handy for takeaways, and a good package will avoid food
waste. However, much food is excessively packaged so consider the following:
© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page 2
 Buy your beverage supplies - sugar, milk, etc. - in bulk. Avoid single serves
such as individually wrapped teabags and sugar sachets.
 Bring your own! Have reusable containers and bags available for staff
takeaways.
 Insulated mugs with lids will last for hundreds of coffees - that's at least a
week!
 Strike a deal with a local café for staff discounts when they bring their own
containers.
 Plastics can leach chemicals into food - provide glass dishes especially for
microwave heat-ups.

Keeping your office supplied with machinery & stationary can be expensive. It
also comes at a cost to the environment. Computers, copiers, printers, faxes
consume a huge amount of energy and materials when they are manufactured
and while they are used. They also create heat, which causes air conditioning
systems to work harder. Click for more information
Key Issues to Consider when Purchasing
Rules of Thumb for Purchasing Office Equipment
Choosing a Computer
Reusing Diskettes & CDs
Choosing Photocopiers
Choose a Printer
Choosing a Fax
Indoor Air Quality & Reducing Electromagnetic Fields
Office Furniture
Stationery
Mobile Phones
Cameras
Battery Powered Electrical Equipment
Key Issues to Consider when Purchasing
Greening your office challenges you to think about whether your organisations’
‘needs’ can be met in different ways.
 Can we lease, share or swap instead of purchasing?
 Does the product have an environmental, energy rating or water-rating label?
 Does the product have EnergyStar features or a ‘sleep’ mode for when it is not
being used?
 Does the supplier have good environmental credentials?
 Is upgrading, reconditioning or extending the useful life of our current model a
better option?
 How long will this particular product last?
 Will it be easily repaired or upgraded?

much better to buy products that are locally made or assembled to reduce
transport.
Use Equipment Wisely
Think before you copy or print. Print using ‘draft’ feature to reduce toner use.
Turn it off when its not being used. Some printers and photocopiers can print on
both sides of the paper (duplex printing) which halves the amount of paper used
and reduces the space required in filing systems.
Have a Regular Maintenance Schedule for Equipment
 Ensure that all equipment is serviced and maintained regularly to ensure
efficiency and no escape of fumes from chemicals.
 Fix small problems before they become big expensive problems.
 Ensure that operating equipment is in well-ventilated rooms.
 Don’t forget to include the maintenance contractor on your green suppliers
list – what are their policies and practices?
© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page 5
Turn Equipment off when Not In Use
© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page 6
Choosing a computer
Some computer manufacturers are designing their computers to be easily
dissembled, or are taking responsibility of the end of life cycle of computers, and
looking at issues concerning recycling or the reusing the equipment.
Ensure that your system has EnergyStar features, and that you learn how to
enable them.
Specify What you Want
Buy a system that suits your needs – don’t buy features that you won’t use.
{Contact the Consumers Institute for more information}.
Make sure you can UPGRADE your Computer
To avoid waste and get the most from your outlay, make sure you know:
 Which parts can be upgraded or expanded, memory, disk space etc?
 How easy is it to access the components for repair or an upgrade?

For more information on the issues and evaluation criteria used visit
www.svtc.org.
© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page 7
Buying Second-hand computers
You may be able to buy what you want for half the price. But once again, do your
homework.
Reusing Disks and CDs
Old floppy disks, which otherwise might be called waste can be wiped and
reformatted for reuse.
Rewritable CDs are recommended as a 'low waste' tool for storing data from
regular backups.
Choosing Photocopiers
Purchasing the right photocopier, with a good service agreement, will result in
reduced paper use, air pollution and land-fill space. You also should consider if
you can share a copiers with a neighbour or whether it is more cost effective to
outsource your copying. .
The main considerations are:
 Choose the right capacity. E.g. copy speed & monthly volume.
 Only get the features you need – but look for opportunities to expand… Can
you add paper-handling features such as document feeders and sorters?
 Compare your running costs of small copiers with larger capacity ones.
 Ask your supplier if they collect or refill or recycle toner cartridges.
 Look for EnergyStar energy saving features – for example a power-down
feature when the copier is not in use.
 Ask for a duplexing unit (this can print on both sides of the paper).
 Make sure you can use recycled paper in your copier.
 Locate you copier away from workspaces to avoid ozone emissions.
 Can the copier also print directly from a PC and act as a printer?
 Find out if your manufacturer will recycle or remanufacture toner cartridges
before you buy.

 Can you send and receive faxes direct from PC and avoid the need for a fax
machine altogether? (Often an old PC can be re-used as a fax server)
 Design small cover sheet or don’t use one at all!
Improve Indoor Air Quality & Reducing Electromagnetic Fields
 Buy products that have low or no formaldehyde, trichloroethylene or benzene
in them.
 Put air cleaning plants in your office some of the recommended indoor
varieties are: Peace Lilly, Dracina, mother-in-law’s tongue, English ivy, Chinese
fern, parlour palms. If you have more light then choose spider plants or
flowering plants (e.g. chrysanthemums or azaleas)
 Ensure sufficient air exchange through good ventilation. No matter how hard
you try there will always be indoor air pollutants. It is important that they can
escape from the building. (Contact BRANZ for information on Building code
regulations)
 Use cleaning agents that are low in volatile organic content (check out the
product label for VOC content)
For those concerned about electromagnetic fields, (these are created by any
electricity – copiers, computers etc.), consider the following:
 Smart wiring using low voltage electronic signals from switches to a centrally
controlled computer.
 Increase your own distance from the source (e.g. computer screen). E.g.
Design light fittings at least one metre apart and at least one metre from
people.
© Auckland Environmental Business Network 2002 Page 9