Your quest for green living doesn't have to stop at home. Why not detox the place where you spend so many of your working hours—your workplace? Get your coworkers involved and make it an office project. Below, some tips from Mother Nature Network, an environmental news and information community:

  • Recycle everything. Boxes and bubble wrap can be saved for outgoing shipments or taken home for use during the holidays, and your local UPS store will probably accept extra packing peanuts. Give everyone a cardboard box for paper recycling, and provide a separate bin for plastics and glass.
  • Print less. Does that memo really have to be printed and distributed to every employee? Probably not. If you must have a hard copy, print double sided and use recycled paper. Use e-mail whenever possible.
  • Ditch the fax machine. Instead, switch to a software program that allows you to send and receive faxes as e-mail attachments.
  • Furnish secondhand. Vintage stores aren't just for clothes--great buys on office furniture can be had, too. Consider that not everything has to match. If you find a sturdy chair that needs reupholstering, buy it--a new covering will cost far less than a new chair. Try Craigslist for local deals.
  • Green up your space with plants. Not only do they look beautiful and create a peaceful vibe, but some plants actually clear the air of toxins. They can also provide a bit of privacy when you're in a cubicle environment.
  • Switch out your bulbs. Going with compact fluorescent bulbs is one of the easiest things you can do. Not only will you cut your energy use by 75 percent, the bulbs will last ten times longer than incandescent ones.
  • Turn off electronics. Leaving computers, printers and other machines on all the time isn't cheap--standby mode accounts for up to one-fifth of your electric bill. A power strip is an easy way to flip a switch and have everything shut down.
  • Clean up the kitchen. Disposables of any kind should be banned, from plastic flatware to styrofoam cups. Buy a reusable mug and keep it at your desk, washing as needed. Brown-bagging it? Get a cloth bag you can tote back and forth from home. Invest in an office coffeemaker to discourage coworkers from bringing in outside java (in disposable cups with plastic lids).