Are you trying to make your office green and eco-friendly? You’re not alone! More and more people are looking for ways to cut out the toxins from their lives. And that includes trying to find a way to have an eco-friendly office space. In this blog post, we will show you how having an eco-friendly office space can help reduce stress, improve productivity, increase employee happiness, and save you money in the long run.
Eco office is trending right now for a good reason. There is no doubt that climate is changing, natural resources are no longer renewable, and they all already influence every person on the planet.
The Advantages of An Eco-friendly Office
Besides being trendy, the green office has many other pros. Here are a number of the most significant advantages:
- Cost Savings – Green offices are more cost-effective in the long run, and they can save you money on utility bills.
- Less Stress – Workers who work in green office environments have lower anxiety levels than those operating under traditional conditions.
- Improved Productivity – Studies show that workers’ productivity increases by 22% when their offices are eco-friendly.
- Healthier Employees – A green office environment helps to promote healthier employees by improving the air quality and keeping the temperature at a reasonable level.
- Environmental Responsibility – An eco-friendly office is better for you, your employees, the environment, and even the planet’s future.
As you can imagine, all of these items are beneficial in creating a thriving, productive, and profitable workplace.
Steps You Can Take To Make An Eco-Friendly Office
While it might be challenging to go 100% green at your office, the good news is that there are many smaller steps you can take to work towards greater sustainability. Here are a few helpful ideas to help inspire you.
Cut Back On Single-Use Products – Consider supplying reusable branded products to replace single-use items such as coffee mugs, drinking cups, and even water bottles.
Launch A Recycling Campaign – Did you know that the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper annually and generates about two pounds worth of waste paper per day? Recycling is a way to repurpose these materials and helps to preserve natural resources.
Buy Recycled And Sustainable Office Products – If you’re looking for new office supplies, consider recycled products made from post-consumer and pre-consumer waste. Also, consider sustainable products like bamboo laptop sleeves, staple-free staplers, refillable pens, and non-toxic glue.
Use LED Lamps – LED lamps are energy-efficient, saving energy to reduce utility bills.
Keep Your HVAC Clean – Ensure that your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is clean. Investing in a qualified professional to maintain the filters will help reduce energy costs by up to 15%.
Add Live Plants – Live plants are an excellent addition to your green office. These living organisms produce oxygen during the day and clean indoor air. Additionally, they absorb potentially harmful toxins.
Encourage Walking and Movement – Encourage staff to take breaks from sitting by allowing them to walk around their office or facility for at least five minutes every hour, even if it’s just going outside for some fresh air.
Limit the Use of Paper Products – Keep a bin with recycled paper products in your work area that can get reused for other purposes, such as taking notes or writing down ideas.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products – Use eco-friendly cleaning products made with plant-based ingredients to avoid hazardous chemicals like ammonia or chlorine bleach. If you’re looking for new office supplies, consider products packaged with recycled products.
Use Electronic Documents When Possible – The regular use of electronic documents can help reduce paper use. Be sure to save all of your documents in the cloud so you can access them from any device and avoid printing out anything that doesn’t need to be hard-copied for later reference.
Improve Your Work Stations – Add things like a plant or decorative item to keep desks looking fresh. Other personalization could include using standing desks, balance ball chairs, and ergonomic seating.
Team Building Activities – Promote challenges and initiatives to inspire your team to jump on board with making your office a greener place to work. Consider host meetings in a green space, such as the garden or other available green space.
Don’t Delay! Start Today!
It may seem that changing conditions make life harder, but indeed it is what makes a journey enjoyable. Sprinterra could help you find the most innovative digital and software solutions to meet your specific business needs. Please get in touch to discuss today!