The Eco-Friendly Workplace | 10 Suggestions + A 3D Office

Regardless whether you are a company of one or one thousand, you can make a positive impact on the environment by adopting a few simple, but effective changes in your workplace.

The following 10 eco-friendly suggestions will not only help to preserve the environment, they can also save your company money and contribute to a healthier/more productive office.

    
  
1) Printing

Eliminate unnecessary printing. (waste of paper and ink)

Consider printing non sharable documents on both sides.

Use recycled paper.

Encourage a paper recycling initiative within your office.

Recycle empty ink toner cartridges.

Use re-filled ink toner cartridges as opposed to new ones.

Use email for internal memos.

2) Coffee Cups, Plastic Cutlery and Other Kitchen Supplies

Encourage employees to use coffee mugs which can be washed and reused.

Prohibit the use of Styrofoam cups, wood and plastic stir sticks, plastic cutlery and paper plates.

3) Eco-Friendly Office Furniture

Purchase office furniture made of recycled materials.

Purchase office furniture that is recyclable when it is no longer of use.

4) Eco-Friendly Flooring  

Consider purchasing flooring made of material that is comprised of recycled content.

Consider purchasing flooring that is recyclable when it is no longer of use.

5) Electricity

Turn off and unplug computers, monitors, lights or any other electrical equipment that’s not in use when you leave the office.

Use shading devices for windows to keep the heat load out and minimize air-conditioning usage.

6) Eco-Friendly Paint

Consider using eco-friendly “Green Paints.” Green paints are defined by their lack or low levels of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). VOC’s are the toxic fumes emitted from most synthetic-based paints and can have negative effects to people and the environment.

7) Eco-Friendly Water Cooler

Consider using an eco-friendly water cooler. Eco-friendly water coolers do not use plastic water bottles and eliminate the environmental impact resulting from regular water bottle deliveries.

8) Eco-Friendly Lighting

Use natural lighting whenever possible. Open the blinds or even add skylights in your space.

Purchase energy efficient bulbs. They tend to use less energy, release less heat and last longer.

Purchase lamps or lighting fixtures that are made with natural, recycled, or reused materials.

eliminate the environmental impact resulting from regular water bottle deliveries.

9) Energy Efficient Equipment

Purchase energy efficient copiers, computers, fax machines, printers, monitors, scanners, microwaves and air-conditioners.

Consider using laptops as opposed to desktops as they require much less energy to operate.

10) Eco-Friendly Janitorial Supplies

Consider using eco-friendly janitorial supplies. These supplies feature environmentally conscious attributes such as being recyclable, eco-responsible packaging and/or being made of all-natural materials, etc.

Demand your outside janitorial services use eco-friendly supplies.

BTW - Another great way of helping the environment is sharing your workplace with a startup, small business or entrepreneur that is looking for a small office space. Sharing office space can go a long way to conserve energy while also helping to reduce waste.

Over the next few months, openofficespace.com will be conducting interviews with companies that are sharing office space and learn what they are doing to promote an eco-friendly workplace.

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Comments

[Office for rent]

It was a great article. Hope that some of the offices today apply and appreciate it for the reason that we are now in a global warming crisis. Also,I agreed that it would increase their productivity and would really contribute for a healthier environment.

Thank You for sharing..

[tile stores tampa]

Luckily, today there are many eco-friendly flooring. One of the known flooring that usually use in home and office is carpet tile. It is affordable and recyclable. One of the advantage of this flooring is it can help to avoid such accident like slipping on a wet floor.

[Shire Commercial Office Leasing Austin]

Fairly straight forward common sense strategies to be Eco-Friendly , just using paper cups instead of plastic, who would have thought!

The trend is moving more towards environmentally friendly office space especially in the Austin Texas market.

[carpet cleaners Portsmouth]

Today, people become more into saving the Earth by re-cycling and using eco-friendly materials. Actually, there are many eco-friendly carpets too. Some of us prefer to place carpets on their flooring so they can avoid scratches on it.

[Aaditi Lathi]

Whatever style or room you’re looking to satisfy, there’s sure to be a healthier and more sustainable choice, which doesn’t sacrifice durability, fashion or quality. In fact, says Bottoni, “Although customers are sometimes concerned about the durability of eco-floors, since they lack chemicals, the durability is most definitely there.” Today’s eco-friendly floors last decades, she adds, and use non-toxic sealants to extend their lifespan.
http://www.greenliving9.com/eco-friendly-flooring.html

[Janitorial Seattle]

Hey, the idea of recycling is not new in the world ,now a days the recycling products range or need have increased and that is good for our health and environment like plastic cups , sand material or paper cups etc , there are various things which we can recycle and use it for our daily purpose.In janitorial,their also have some space for recycle so we can all try to do something for our environment

[Office Cleaning Minneapolis]

Yes, it's not new, but the very concept of it eludes most offices. I don't know why exactly, but my best bet would be that people tend to think that eco-friendly environment nowadays would cost them more. It's kind of sad really. Anyway, thanks for sharing the 3D model with us. Great way to educate others on how the environment and economics can work together.

[Clinton Harvin]

I have to agree with you. If you are a businessman and an earth-loving person like me, you won't hesitate to follow these simple suggestions to positively make an impact to our environment. You can also adapt these as an individual, like in the fifth suggestion - save electricity. I have been also doing that ever since.

[DSS San Antonio]

Paper is wasted every day and we have to put a stop to this. Shredding used papers to recycling them into a new kind like that of greeting cards is one example on how we can support the 'going green' campaign of concerned citizens.
I also read another article regarding recycling at:
http://www.ecojoes.com/styrofoam-cups-vs-paper-cups/#idc-cover
Aside from that, once we are done with a certain task we can already shred or recycle our used papers to exercise our practicality and 'green' consciousness.

[Closets and Beyond]

It is not easy to keep things organized, at work or at homes - especially if you have many things stacked and you cannot keep a system to follow.
http://www.closetsnbeyond.com
Among the things that people find it difficult to organize is paper documents. They tend to pile up on desks - which include receipts, credit card billings, medical records and other personal files - and people tend to be overwhelemed that they get tired by simply looking at the paper clutter.

[Hamilton Business Interiors]

The design and location of furniture and things for work affects how much time we need to get our tasks accomplished. With the help of the right kind of furniture and interior design, you will be able to maximize your space and get that cozy feel that you are longing for.
http://www.hamiltonbusinessinteriors.com
Integrating 'green' methods in our lifestyles show how much we care about the environment and it does not have to be affected with all the innovations done in technology.

[Ink cartridges]

Nice useful suggestions you shared here. thanks for that. the 3D office you mentioned above looks a dreamy office. great useful post.

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