Environmentally sound and sustainably designed office spaces have a broad range of benefits for businesses today. For example, they can improve the overall employee experience, align with your organisation’s vision and values, as well as benefit the bottom line too. Policies and processes that improve the eco-friendly impact of your workplace are simple to implement – this is our guide to creating a green office space.
Start with the small changes
The simplest shift of all is to introduce a “turn off” policy for the end of every working day. Ensure that heating, lights, and electronics are being turned off at the plug every evening and your office will not only save on energy consumption but reduce business bills too. If you want to incentivise this process then introduce a small penalty for those who forget, such as 20p in the ‘green jar.’
Opt for a paperless environment
Paper is responsible for around 90% of all office waste so you can make a big difference to how green your office is by taking steps to go paperless. Use digital files and mobile devices instead of printing out items, review documents on-screen in meetings and opt for paperless receipts and automated payments. One study found that if a country like the US cut paper usage in offices by just 10% it would be the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road every year in emissions reduction.
Switch to more sustainable electronics
This is one of the easiest ways to get started with a greener office space, as the associated costs can be small. When the time comes to buy new electronic products, opt for those that are sustainable and proven to come at a lower cost to the environment. More sustainable electronics tend to consume less power and will be easier to dispose of at the end of their life so that they don’t end up in landfills.
Switch to greener power sources
There are many different ways to do this, from choosing to buy office energy from a provider that uses renewable sources, to getting solar panels installed on the roof of the building to minimise the power the building buys in. Green energy is much easier to access than it used to be and most major providers have options today.
Optimise available natural light
Moving desks to within 25 feet of peripheral walls with windows, for example, can reduce the amount of artificial light your premises consumes and is far better for the employee experience too.
Temperature control
There’s no need to dramatically change the way your building is heated or cooled, as small adjustments can make all the difference to how green your office ultimately is. Turning the heating down by just a degree or two in winter, for example, can significantly reduce energy consumption across the premises. And if you set the aircon to kick in at just one degree higher in the summer months you can save around 30,000 kilowatts per year.
By incorporating these components within your work environment, you’ll be well on your way to creating a more sustainable and appealing green office space.
