A new study out this week shows the best thing we can do for Earth Day (April 22) is work from home. That’s because office workers don’t care about the environment at work like they do at home. TeamViewer is revealing the results of their Telecommuting for Earth Day survey of 500 office workers that shows the actions people take at home that they don’t bother with at work, including:
Turn lights off when not in a room – 74%
Make their own lunch – 60%
Print minimal amounts of paper – 53%
Power down computer at night – 50%
Recycle – 39%
Avoid bottled water – 34%
And surprising numbers of bosses now say it’s the environment that causes them to say yes to telecommuting:
42% say environmental concerns weigh strongly or very strongly
62% say the environment at least somewhat strongly influences the decision
Nearly all employees (97%) say they use fewer resources when working from home, including gas (86%), printer paper (31%), electricity, markers & pencils (15%), shower water (13%) and even pain pills (12%).
This is important because the EPA says we waste about 71 million tons of paper each year and more than half of the survey respondents said they print more than 20 pages per day, and a further 20% say it’s more than 50.
—————————————
According to a recent article, Millennials are paying mortgages before paying wedding planners. In fact, a new study from Colwell Banker Real Estate reports that approximately 25% of married homeowners aged 18 to 34 purchased a home together before they tied the knot.
This generation, one known for breaking down societal norms, is leading the way when it comes to forward thinking behavior and attitudes. However, when it comes to being environmentally friendly, Millennials are talking the talk, but not walking the walk.
According to DDB’s most recent Life Style Study (LSS) surrounding environmental issue awareness & responsibility, Boomers are significantly more likely than Millennials to say they make a strong effort to:
o Recycle everything they possibly can (66% v. 53%)
o Separate the recyclables from the rest of the trash (64% v. 53%)
o Use reusable grocery bags as much as possible (54% v. 46%)
Despite the belief that the Millennial generation is particularly passionate about environmental issues, there are few, if any, differences in their level of concern about the environment or importance they place on responsible behavior versus the Boomer generation.
—————————————
Already an out of control epidemic, trash in America is threatening to take over. Producing more trash than any other country in the world, America throws away more than 500 billion pounds of trash per year, with each person throwing a stunning 4.4 lbs. of trash away per day! From paper products, plastic, food scraps, and more, Americans are throwing away more trash than our country can support. With landfills reaching capacity and some states having no additional room, the trash problem has reached a critical level.
For example, did you know that 25 million plastic bottles are thrown away every hour, and it takes plastic 700 years to begin decomposing? Or that Americans use over 1 billion grocery bags each year, creating 300,000 tons of landfill waste?
As we recognize Earth Day, take a moment to think about areas in your life where you can create less waste and recycle more. As non-renewable resources are consumed and the earth fills with trash – this has become everyone’s problem and everyone’s responsibility. Read on to discover more shocking facts in the Top 10 Reasons Why You’ll be Buried Alive Infographic.
