The commute to and from your place of work every day can easily throw a wrench on your plans in spite of all your efforts to be eco-friendly. If your goal is to be green, you can make your commute a bit eco-friendlier. Shortening your work week, using a different mode of transportation, and opting for greener routes can all be effective ways to make your work commute a bit eco-friendlier.
1. Work Flexible Hours
Numerous companies today allow flexible hours as long as communication and projects don’t suffer. While the number of hours you work would not change, adjusting your schedule can be an eco-friendly alternative.
Shifting around your work hours can help you avoid commuting when there’s a lot of traffic, and lessen the impact of your car on the environment. If you are not sitting idle in traffic, less emissions will pollute the air and you will be happier too.
2. Use Public Transportation
The public transportation options are one of the advantages of living in a large city. If a public bus system or subways system is a viable transportation option where you live, you should consider switching your mode of transportation.
Public transportation can often be a relaxing way to commute because you never personally need to worry about traffic and you can actually get some work done while you ride. Furthermore, having to leave at a particular time to avoid missing the bus can give your routine a bit of structure.
If you drive your personal vehicle less often you will end up saving money and maintenance and utilizing public transportation will be an eco-friendlier option than driving to work and back.
3. Carpool with Coworkers
If you live in a neighborhood close to your coworkers, a carpool rotation can be an easy way to make your commute eco-friendlier. You will save on both maintenance and gas for your vehicle because you will be driving less often.
Sharing a ride to work even several times a week can almost reduce your impact by half. Carpooling is a no-brainer if you are passionate about being greener because you don’t have to adjust your transportation mode or work schedule. Just get together with coworkers and make your morning commute a breeze.
4. Bike to Work
Commuting via bike is an active and eco-friendly way to travel to work. If you have the benefit of having a short commute or working in a bike-friendly city, making the switch from driving to biking can help you cut down your carbon footprint.
If you live in a warmer climate, you could theoretically ride a bike to work most of the year, but even if you don’t, the few days you do will still make a difference. You may even consider buying an eco-friendly bike like those made out of bamboo, which is one of the eco-friendliest materials.
5. Work 4 Days Instead of 5
Who does not like the idea of having a 3-day weekend every week? If you can condense your work week to 4 days as opposed to 5 means that every weekend lasts for 3 days and completely eliminates a full day of commuting.
Think about the scope of your workload and whether a condensed work week is actually feasible. If you are not sacrificing critical deadlines or meetings, you can adjust to working four 10-hour weeks and leave Friday for yourself and the environment.
6. Work Remotely If Possible
The vast majority of professionals have the option of completely working remotely in this digital age. With high-speed internet and equipment, and numerous companies now use cloud-based software for storing files. Hence, there’s basically no reason not to work from home.
If your employer has jumped on the bandwagon, working from home sometimes can be a great way to make your commute greener since you will not even be leaving your house. Working remotely for even a couple of days each month can lessen the environmental impact you would have had had you driven on those days.
If your work doesn’t require too many face-to-face meetings, working from home can be an excellent option, and with the absence of the distractions found in an office, your productivity levels are likely to increase.
7. Upgrade Your Wheels to a Greener Ride
If it simply isn’t feasible to change your work schedule, then driving an eco-friendlier vehicle may be the way to go. From fuel efficient cars to fully electric vehicles, you have a bit of flexibility when it comes to vehicle selection. See here for information on getting cash for your old vehicle.
Electric vehicles not only improve fuel economy but also can be cheaper to use after the initial cost of purchase. If you don’t particularly like electric vehicles, hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicles that reduce fuel consumption can also be excellent eco-friendly options.
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