I would guess that most of us are at least conscious of and trying to lead “greener” lives in general, but have you thought about how to be more environmentally-friendly while working?

In the office, this could be somethings as simple as only turning on the light when it is absolutely necessary, or installing a thermostat on the heater that can either be programmed or remote-controlled to turn on only when needed and only to a temperature that’s comfortable and appropriate (i.e. there is no need to turn the office into a sauna and wear a t-shirt in winter – sweaters are there for a reason 😉 ).
Using eco-friendly paper and stationary with a lighter paper weight and printing only what’s really necessary as well as using writing utensils with non-toxic ink are also ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

And while there isn’t the usual volume of interpreting going on right now, and none of it in person in a booth, this may just be the perfect time to think and talk about developing a sustainable lifestyle when out and about.
Andrew Gillies wrote an excellent article for aiic’s “Flux” called “The green interpreter” in which he mentions different options interpreters have to contribute to a better environment, such as bringing your own reusable water bottle and coffee cup, using less paper and if possible using scrap paper, as well as sustainable travel tips.

How about you? Do you have any more tips and ideas on how to have a more sustainable working lifestyle? Please share them in the comments!

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