Real Words

Even as a writer, there are things that you can do on a regular basis to make the way that you work a little bit more friendly to the environment.

Here are eight ways that you can start to “green” your writing:

1. Write about green issues. Even if you don’t get paid. One of the most important things that any writer can do is to educate others about the issues that matter to them. Make it a point to write one green article each week providing information to others about how to live green. If you can’t get them published, see if you can post them as guest posts on blogs to spread the word and help green the world.
2. Take “no tech” days. Writers, especially web writers, spend a whole lot of time online which means they’re spending time using up energy. I know that my work day usually involves running one, if not two, computers as well as exchanging tech messages and keeping either music or television on in the background. But every Tuesday, I take a “no technology” day. I turn off (and unplug) my computer and other electronic devices. I don’t replace them with television or other tech toys. This is good for me because it allows me to spend the day being creative without electronic distractions. And it’s good for the environment that all of my gadgets are turned off.
3. Get into green computing. There are a plethora of different ways that you can make your computer more enironmentally-friendly. Learn about them and implement them. Get an energy-efficient computer; refill ink cartridges instead of sending them to the landfill; do all the day’s printing at once and keep the printer unplugged the rest of the day. These little things add up to big energy savings.
4. Recycle, buy recycled and re-use. You use a lot of items in your writing. Paper, organizing folders, and other items can be bought “recycled”. When you’re done, you can recycle them again. Don’t just send them to the recycling plant either; if you can use them in a new way in your own home, go that route first. It’s amazing what you can recycle; just consider all of these alternative uses for old pens. And remember to recycle your electronics when they’re old; here’s how.
5. Think about reducing your waste as you work. I know that I print out papers that I don’t need to print out. And I get bags for the ink cartridges I just purchased when I could just put them in my purse. Slowly, I’m learning to think before taking each action and consider how it impacts the environment around me.
6. Add or remove a layer of clothing. Many of us work from home. What happens is we get adjusted to the temperature and start to feel cooler or warmer with the weather outside. This means that people who work at home tend to climate control their homes like crazy, turning up the AC or heat. Avoid doing this if you work from home by adding or removing a layer of clothing instead of using these devices.
7. Purchase all of your writing supplies on a green credit card. You should always make all work purchases on a single credit card because then it’s easier to track them and makes doing taxes much simpler. Why not make that card a “green” card which donates money to a charity whenever you make a purchase.
8. Remember that your writing is a gift. You think of it as work but it’s something that’s to be treasured. When the holidays come around, stop buying material things that are going to end up in the dump. Start using your writing to craft letters, love notes, stories and scrapbooks - gifts that your loved ones will treasure forever (and gifts that take up a lot less space on earth than what we usually buy!)

Not all of these things are going to be easy for everyone, but trying to incorporate them into your life in some way will help make you a greener writer. For example, you might not be interested in writing one full article each week about a green issue. However, you can probably work a green tip into one line of an article that you’re already writing anyway. Little changes are what make big differences in the world around us.

Question of the Day: What one green thing can you do as a writer to leave less of an eco-footprint on the world?

Related links to other people’s work: Ideal Bite (easy ways to green your daily life), The EcoFriendly writer, where to purchase an Eco-friendly pen, and Green Writer Marketplace (green job leads)

[Tags] green, writing, eco-friendly, green writer, environment, recycle [/Tags]

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