Home Office Furniture

Offices are the last bastions of the eco-exploitation. Those endless supplies of used paper, old pens, defunct disks and obsolete computer equipment that get thrown in the bin; those computer screens that glare; that emphasis on short-term efficiency rather than long-term stewardship.

If we are employed in a conventional office, there is little we can do other than campaign for change, but at home we can redress the balance.

By understanding the impact of our work space on the environment, we can create a home office that is efficient and eco-friendly, high-tech but healthy.

REGENERATE

These days offices, even in the home, have to accommodate all manner of unhealthy things.

Computers generate radiation, static and heat, laser printers give off ozone, photocopiers can emit carbon dioxide.

Indoor air quality can be far more polluted than outdoor air as all electrical devices deplete the levels of negative ions (electrically charged molecules), thereby contributing to feelings of stress and tension.

An ioniser will help to redress the balance and plants can also act as air filters.

Aloe vera, bamboo palm, chrysanthemums and spider plants are considered among the most effective natural filters.

REDUCE

All electrical equipment uses up energy, so make sure you switch off any machines when they are not in use and buy products that are as eco-friendly as you can.

Look for government-approved low-energy labels and ask suppliers about wattage levels and energy-saving features.

Note too, that flat screens, such as those used in laptop computers, use less energy than conventional screens and also emit less radiation.

The most obvious energy consumer is electric lighting.

About 25 per cent of the electricity generated in the United States is used for lighting, and approximately half of this amount of energy is wasted, lighting empty rooms or as heat produced by inefficient lamps.

If you work from home, place your work space in the area with the most natural light.

If the interior of your house is generally gloomy, think of enlarging the windows, installing a skylight and using light, bright paints to accentuate what little sunlight there is.

Get into the habit of turning off lights when they are not in use and install dimmer switches or timers which can help to reduce waste.

Switch to low-energy lights.

RECONDITION

We all want to trade in our computer for the latest model and as technological advances speed up, this process is happening more and more frequently.

Do not be tempted to throw your old monitor in a skip, however. Sell it to a second-hand dealer, auction it online or ask your original supplier or the manufacturer for suggestions to where you might send it.

Computer recycling centres, where supposedly obsolete machines are reconditioned for use by schools or charities, are on the increase.

Look on the Internet for details of facilities near you.

Start with www.microweb.com/pepsite which offers an international directory of computer recycling programmes.

RECYCLE

Whatever your line of work, it is likely that your office will be full of the usual quota of expendable supplies - paper and pens, disks and diaries, ink cartridges for the printer.

These are things that many of us routinely throw away but shouldn't.

Used paper should be stashed in piles and taken to a waste-paper collection point.

Toner cartridges should be returned to the manufacturer who can reuse them.

The same can be done with telephones.

Make sure that you buy as much eco-friendly office equipment as you possibly can, whether it is recycled paper, salvaged furniture or green computer accessories.

You can even get recycled disks that have been put through a thorough electronic, magnetic, physical and software cleaning system.

RELAX

Choose office furniture that is comfortable and that encourages good posture.

Chairs should be height adjustable and give proper support to the small of the back.

A foot rest also helps you sit correctly.

Desks should be big enough to accommodate all your technical equipment with room to spare so that you don't feel cluttered of hemmed in when you are working.

Do all you can to choose pieces made from natural materials.

Computers, printers, scanners, phones, faxes are generally designed by technicians - and they look as they have been.

The arrival of the funky, colourful iMac hopefully heralds a change in the design of office equipment and points the way towards a new kind of working environment where the human element is no longer neglected.

For the time being, choose equipment that is attractive as well as efficient.