Martin Love divides his time between three different offices.

As Green Party councillor for Shipley, and Green group leader, he works both in his office at home and at the Green group office in City Hall.

He also travels to his office at the HBOS in Halifax, where he works in information technology.

"There are plenty of ways, many of them simple, to help reduce waste in an office,"he says. "Small changes can help the environment and save money.

"For instance, if documents are printed on one side only and you no longer need them, you can use the other as scrap paper or scrap notepads to put beside the phone. And, wherever possible, you can re-use envelopes."

He adds: "Throughout City Hall, waste paper is sent for recycling."

A bit of extra thought can reap rewards, if people make a point of remembering to turn off computer equipment at the end of the day.

"Many people are unaware that printers and computers carry on using power even when turned off, if they are still plugged into the mains. You have to also be aware of power packs between the plug and the appliance, that use electricity," he explains.

"When your computer or other electrical items in your office are not in use they should be switched off at the plug, and it is important to make sure that everything is turned off at night because power is still being used."

Martin would like to see more people working from home in the future and makes every effort to work from home himself.

"The numbers are growing, but with technology being what it is, more people should ask themselves whether they actually need to travel when they could do the job from home. It is important to cut out unnecessary travel," he says.

In his job with HBOS in Halifax, he makes use of video and telephone conferencing. "If you book a telephone conference using an on-line booking, there is a facility which calculates how much CO2 you are saving.

"You give details of the people who will be dialling in and the system takes into account how far they would have travelled and how much CO2 you would use."

He stresses that small changes can have huge implications. "In every organisation, whatever the size, you can do it. By doing something as easy as switching to low-energy light bulbs, you are helping to make a difference."

Hawarun Hussain works as a physical activity co-ordinator with Bradford & Airedale PCT. She is also a Green councillor for Shipley and has an office at home.

"I use as many recycled items as I can," she says. "I use recycled paper and use stickers to readdress used envelopes. At work, envelopes are reused for internal mail."

Imaginative items of stationery help to make recycling fun, particularly for children, and get the message across at the same time. says Hawarun.

"I have a notebook made from recycled rubber tyres, one made from plastic bags, and I have pens made from old games consoles - products like these are great for children, my sons love them. If you look around there are a lot of products available."

Recycled stationery and office accessories can now be found in all high street supermarkets.

Hawarun adds: "At work we use our own mugs for drinks rather than disposable plastic cups. It makes sense to use one cup all the time for drinks."

She also advocates buying Fair Trade products. Although an ethical rather than a green statement, it is a worthwhile, easy way of helping struggling farmers in the Third World.

At work, she and her small team of colleagues make efforts to reduce waste.

"I'm based in a portable building and because we are a small team and we don't have much waste, we take it in turns to take home bottles, tins and other recyclable items to put in our own recycling bins."

Recycling printer ink and cartridges, and having them refilled is another relatively easy way of doing your bit to save the planet, with firms across the district - one example being Cartridge World, which has branches all over the country including Bradford - offering the service.

"And some businesses refurbish and recycle IT equipment," says Martin Love. "They will collect your old equipment and prevent it going to landfill."

It is also important to think about which products you use to clean your desk, and avoid those full of harsh chemicals, with non-biodegradable packaging.

Mail order companies such as Viking at Home offer green environmentally friendly alternatives such as recycled pens, scissors and sticky notes.

"It is possible to change your approach to even the most insignificant items you use every day," says a company spokesman.

"What you select can have an impact, positively or negatively, on the environment."