2. Add recycle bins to your office. Recycling is an easy and positive habit to get into. It also shows your patients that you care about the environment.

3. Avoid using heavily-dyed colored paper. The Environmental Defense Fund says that the dyes used in neon and other deep colors “interfere with recycling because of the difficulty in removing such dyes during the recycling process.”

4. Soy-based ink. Contains fewer harmful toxins than petroleum-based ink, printing is brighter (so less ink is needed), supports American crops, and the prices are comparable to regular petroleum-based ink. Right now, it is available for commercial printers only, but make your voice heard and request it at retailers.

5. Make your transportation green. You don’t have to buy a hybrid car to drive green. Consider carpooling, public transportation, biking or even walking to work, if possible. Install a bike rack for your employees and patients. Another way to cut back on carbon dioxide emissions and the high cost of gasoline is to add a picnic table to your property to encourage employees to lunch outside rather than at another location.

6. Green lights. Install compact fluorescent bulbs and motion sensors for lower traffic rooms. Post small, tasteful signs requesting that lights be turned off when a room is not in use.

7. Stop equipment drain. Turn off office equipment when you leave for the evening or activate the sleep mode. Look for products with the Energy Star logo on them when purchasing new items. Turn your computer off when you’re finished; screen savers use energy. According to Jourdan Rassás, “If every U.S. computer and monitor were turned off at night, the nation could shut down eight large power stations and avoid emitting 7 million tons of CO2 every year.”

8. Go electronic. More and more offices are going “paperless,” offering electronic billing statements, newsletters and more.

9. Stop “auto printing.” Do you automatically print every e-mail you receive so you have a “real” copy to refer to? Stop the habit now. View it on your screen and file it electronically.Only print items when it is absolutely necessary. The more you avoid your printer, the more paper and ink you will save. You’ll also save money and the time it takes to organize all those papers.

10. Just the fax – no more cover sheets. When a cover sheet isn’t necessary for privacy purposes, use a stick-on label instead. If you have a scanner, consider scanning documents and e-mailing them rather than using the fax machine.

11. Print on both sides. Set your copier to print on both sides whenever possible. Reuse non-confidential papers as packing materials, scratch paper and coloring sheets for visiting children in your office.

12. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Buy recycled paper and other office products. Repurpose items you find at home or in second-hand shops. Green is the new black!

13. Reset the thermostat. Automatic thermostats allow you to set the temperature inside your office (or home, of course) based on the weather and when you are in or out of the office.