More people are working from home these days. That lowers your environmenetal impact just by not having to drive to work. Avoiding Los Angeles or San Francisco traffic gets you bonus points. And not needing dry cleaning is an environmental plus. You may also be avoiding common workplace toxins. But can your home office be hazardous to your health?
Whether you’re giving your existing home office an environmental upgrade, or setting up an office for the first time, here are a few tips for creating a green, greener, or greenest home office.
According to some eco-savvy experts, we can all find easy ways to improve working conditions in our home environment.
{GREEN} Create a work space that helps preserve and protect the planet’s natural resources and your family’s health.
“The most important thing you can do is to keep the room well ventilated, if nothing else,” says Bruce P. Lanphear, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Environmental Health Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and professor of pediatrics and environmental health at the University of Cincinnati.
“And, of course, don’t let people smoke in your home or home office.” Secondhand smoke, also called passive exposure, is associated with many risks, including preterm birth.
Eco lifestyle experts Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu suggest turning off computers and lights when not in use and opening the curtains to maximize natural light. This can boost your mood and save on utility bills.
Also, consider printing out only what is necessary, and reinsert paper to print on the opposite side before tossing. Store used paper in a recycling container for your baby’s first scribbles.
{GREENER} Look for office furniture with Cradle to Cradle Certification, which shows it’s made with environmentally safe materials (for an explanation of the certification, go to mbdc.com/certified.html). Some companies specialize in environmentally-friendly products that feature award-winning design.
Two great choices for office desks and chairs to splurge on include those made by Herman Miller and Steelcase.
Consider green office supplies such as recycled paper and remanufactured printer cartridges, available at Office Depot, Staples, and Amazon. Also, turn in your used ink cartridges at these stores for a rebate coupon on your next purchase. Search for products such as refillable pens made from recycled cardboard.
{GREENEST} Put off remodeling or building if you can, but if you do remodel, choose the least-toxic materials you can find, such as low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, including Olympic and Benjamin Moore’s Eco-Spec line.
Or use milk paint, a centuries-old formula made from purified milk protein, lime, natural fillers and pigment; The Real Milk Paint Co.’s product is all natural and organic (realmilkpaint.com).
Avoid renovations that require scraping, sanding or refinishing older walls or furniture.
“One of the main sources of lead exposure in the U.S. today is lead paint in older houses (pre-1978),” says Ulrike Luderer, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of occupational and environmental medicine at the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at University of California Irvine.
“This is important because of the hand-to-mouth behavior of very young children.” (Something to keep in mind once you give birth and your baby starts crawling and walking.)
Lead levels accumulate in the body over time, and breathing in microscopic lead dust particles from windows and doors once coated with lead-based paint can cause irreversible neurological damage. Touching or mouthing objects coated with this dust is another common source of lead ingestion.
Some older Venetian blinds and pottery from foreign origins also may contain lead, cautions Miller. Over time, sunlight and heat can cause lead dust to form on the surface of these blinds, and children could inhale the dust.
Lead-testing kits are available at hardware stores. If you suspect lead in your home, call your state health department for instructions.
This post is based on a series of Green Pregnancy feature stories I wrote for Fit Pregnancy magazine. I’ve updated the information here for savvy readers.
