I was sitting at work the other day thinking about how much waste is generated at my business. Everyone has a paper recycle bin under their desk but besides that it is pretty much a free for all. From email printing to packing lunches in throw-away plastic baggies it seems like most people leave their personal eco-friendly lifestyles at the door every morning.

Since then I’ve been looking for some online info on green business strategies and I found some really good info at the NRDC. The National Resource Defense Council “is the nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.2 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals.”

Here are some quick facts and tips but check out the site for much more:

- “Saving paper saves your business money. A typical office disposes of about 350 pounds of wastepaper per employee per year."

- Adjust the house style on word processing programs to use a slightly smaller font and slightly wider margins.

- Save and collect 8.5 by 11 inch paper that's been printed on one side, restack it neatly, designate a paper drawer on each printer (or as many printers as practical) for this paper, and use it to print drafts.

- Buy paper with the highest percentage of postconsumer recycled content available, never settling for less than 30 percent for uncoated paper or 10 percent for coated stock.

- If you have a choice, buy products wrapped in the least packaging. Buy in bulk or in larger containers.

- By reducing the basis weight of its ATM receipts from 20 pounds to 15 pounds, Bank of America saved more than just paper; this simple move also gained the bank additional savings in transportation, storage and handling costs, to the tune of $500,000 a year.

» Natural Resources Defense Council