Embracing Sustainability in Your Office Space

Adopting sustainability begins by taking small, practical measures. Small decisions, such as choosing new lighting fixtures and rearranging the layout, can enhance sustainability. Here are some ways to embrace sustainability in your office space:

Maximize Energy-Efficient Lighting

A working environment with natural light enhances concentration, productivity, and overall well-being. Placing desks in front of big windows helps increase the amount of natural light available for completing tasks. Reflective materials, such as glass panels and whiteboards, can help evenly distribute light in communal spaces. 

When natural light is unavailable or insufficient, LED bulbs provide bright illumination while requiring less energy than traditional bulbs. Motion sensors can be used in rooms like storage closets or bathrooms to verify that lights remain off when the rooms are not in use. Dimmable fixtures enable you to adjust the lighting when presenting, collaborating, or performing individual tasks. 

Minimize Office Waste

Implementing new office waste procedures or digital collaboration tools helps reduce material consumption in the workplace. Some eco-friendly practices include:

• Making recycling bins available, visible, and easy to use can help increase recycling. 

• Sharing documents and training materials digitally reduces the need to print out many documents. 

• Composting biodegradable products such as fruit scraps, napkins, and tea bags redirects waste from landfills. 

• Designating decluttering days allows teams to have the opportunity to recycle unused supplies and properly dispose of outdated electronics.

• Replacing single-use items like coffee cups with reusable options supports waste reduction.

• Creating a take-one, leave-one office supply spot within the office limits the number of unused supplies. 

Visual aids, such as posters or online dashboards, remind employees of sustainability policies and help incorporate new, eco-friendly routines into their workday. Long-term, these combined efforts can minimize the waste footprint in your workplace. Reducing waste may also result in lower procurement costs as your business becomes less reliant on paper goods. 

Use Sustainable Materials

The type of furniture used in your office space contributes to the overall sustainability of the space. Recycled wood or metal products are both environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Instead of throwing old furniture in the trash, reupholstering old chairs or sanding wood pieces refreshes their appearance. Inventory management prevents overstocking unused office supplies. Prioritizing durable office supplies reduces the need to replace broken furniture or other frequently used items. Incorporating sustainable materials into the office also includes reducing single-use items when possible. Refillable ink cartridges and tote bags encourage a reduction of single-use plastics. 

Bring Nature Inside

Incorporating natural elements into the workplace, such as potted plants, helps reduce stress. Some plants also help purify the air, enhancing indoor air quality. Materials like wood, stone, or jute can also offer a grounding natural element to modern office designs. 

Conference rooms and offices may use earth-inspired colors, such as olive green or deep ocean blue, to evoke a sense of visual calm. Artwork featuring natural themes, including forest, desert, or river designs, helps reduce heart rate and blood pressure, contributing to a calm work environment. 

Some office spaces also incorporate auditory or olfactory stimulation into the work environment. Sounds, such as ocean waves, and floral scents recall natural environments. This helps reduce physiological stress, potentially leading to higher productivity and focus. 

Get a Sustainable Office Space

Creating an eco-friendly office space helps improve both environmental performance and employee satisfaction. Design decisions, from furniture to daily work routines, impact a workplace’s overall sustainability. Energy efficiency, waste reduction, and the incorporation of natural elements all contribute to a more eco-friendly environment. Choosing materials with low VOC emissions also helps safeguard indoor air quality and employee health. Contact an office space provider today to learn more about how they can help support your company’s commitment to sustainability.