More and more businesses are trying to become eco-friendly; not only does it help the environment, but a company’s image can be increased due to their healthier and more eco-conscious public image. What can you do around the office to make your work environment more eco-friendly? Check out these great 8 tips below:

Drip, Drip - Although water can easily be taken for granted, costs are going up and a lot of water can be wasted. At the office where a lot of people are in one space, it is vital to try and reduce the amount of water being used. How can you do this? Get staff to only boil what they need when they make a drink, have taps that run via being pushed (and only run for a second or two), as well as installing products on the toilet flush that reduces the water used.

Think of the trees - Every office should be conscious of paper usage, and ensure that anything used is recycled and not just thrown into a bin. It is so easy to go through mounds of paper for meetings and paperwork that is then simply thrown away. Why not use the other side of the page before you recycle it? If you do this for every sheet used, you'll half your paper usage over a year - result!

Get everyone involved - Although some companies like to think their employees will recycle, unless a system is put in place, it won't work. How can you do this? Get special bins for everything that needs recycling - paper, plastic etc - and use labels or colour coding. Make notices and place them around the office so people know what goes where, as well as why they should be recycling.

Printer Waste - It is something that can be easily missed even when an office is trying to be eco-friendly, but have you thought about your printer usage? As well as trying to print as little as possible, ensure that everything you print is double sided; most printers allow this functionality.

Meetings - Have you ever been in a meeting and realised you all have the same documents in front of you? It is a large waste, especially if they're only used for a short space of time. The resolution? Ask the boss to use a media screen or whiteboard to display the info you need as everyone is talking about it. You can write notes on a separate page, and the dozens of sheets of paper are saved.

Save the energy - It's usually the case in most offices that temperatures can never be agreed on. Come to an agreement on a sensible air con (or heated) level for everyone, and office bills can be more controlled and even reduced. Use a timer to ensure everything goes off when no one is at work, and also make sure that computers are turned off when not in use, and not only put on standby.

Are you 'Green'? - Is your office running on the best service available for energy usage? Most suppliers now offer 'greener' tariffs, which run on renewable sources such as solar and wind power. Also ensure that your equipment is multi-functional, such as a printer that also photocopies and faxes. Make sure office equipment has energy efficient labels too, such as the fridge and your kettle.

Sharing rides - So many people drive to work, usually with just one person in the car. Why not set up a car sharing scheme at work, and encourage people to share transport where possible? Also encourage cycling to work too, and get involved in any schemes that your local area offer. Not only will your company become more eco-friendly, but healthier too!

Have you got any additional ideas for being eco-friendly at work? Please share them in the box below!