It seems everyone is going green these days, so we here at SnagAJob.com want to do our part as well. Whether you work in an office, a retail store or even in the great outdoors, here are some tips on how to help the environment—and your wallet—this summer.

• Go natural. Incandescent lights have nothing on the sun, whose light is both free and doesn’t use up any energy. If you work near windows, open them up. Sunlight increases the production of a feel-good chemical in the brain called serotonin, making us feel happier. A cheaper gas bill won’t hurt, either.

• Can’t go natural? Go fluorescent. Replace the light bulbs in your lamps and ceiling lights with energy saving bulbs, and ask your boss to do the same. If they’re skeptical, let them know that these bulbs will not only save them money on electricity costs, but they last up to 13 times longer than regular bulbs, cutting waste and saving trips to the store.

• Carpool to work. If your coworkers live close by, suggest carpooling to work to save money on gas. Chances are they’ll be up for it considering almost everyone is feeling the strain at the pump lately. It will also give you a chance to bond with the people you see every day but may not get to talk to as often as you’d like. If you’re still on your job search, look for jobs close enough to walk or bike to from your home.

• Buy a plant. And not the plastic kind. Houseplants enrich the quality of air around you and reduce stress.

• Pack your lunch. Invest in a durable lunch box and bring your meals to work to save money on food as well as reduce waste from fast food wrappers and containers. You’ll feel healthier and have more time on your lunch break to run errands, go to the gym or just kick back and relax.

• Reduce paper waste. You can save loads of paper by setting your company’s printer to a double-sided feature. Besides, nobody wants a 500-page budget report. You can also encourage your employer and coworkers to pay bills online—it’s quicker and easier, and it saves a ton of paper. Finally, instead of using paper coffee cups every morning, invest in a ceramic mug to reuse every day.

It only takes a little effort to make a big difference, so speak up at your job and suggest some of these energy and money saving ideas. Mother Earth will thank you, and you can use the extra money to rent Al Gore’s documentary on global warming. OK, maybe not.

Check out some other ways to stay healthy on the job and search for summer jobs, too.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 4:59 am and is filed under Health & safety, Job tips, Jobs, Work, Careers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.