Tips for Making Your Office Location Eco-Friendly In 2017

We spend most of our time in the office, and while we may try to make the place suitable for our physical and mental health, it is equally important to make the space environmentally friendly.

Creating offices that are eco-friendly comes with plenty of benefits: it is healthier for employees, it improves employee productivity, and it saves energy.

There are plenty of ways a business can improve the environment, and it is important that every employee participates. In 2017, one of your company resolutions should be to make your office location eco-friendly. Here’s how:

Make Use of Natural Light

Access to natural light is one of the easiest ways to conserving energy.

The ambiance provided by the sun cannot be matched to any source of light. Therefore, depending on the sun – for natural light – you can automatically reduce reliance on artificial lights, and will, in turn, save energy. Consuming little energy reduces your company’s carbon footprint.

Incorporating natural light into an office will save on electricity bills. Natural light can be used by installing a skylight that allows the office to receive enough natural light.

Alternatively, the office can switch from small windows and plain walls to large windows. A larger window allows more light to be dispersed.

The office can also do away with concrete walls and replace them with transparent glass walls that make the room look spacious.

Other benefits of natural light are:

• It improves employee productivity because it has health benefits
• It beautifies the office

Introduce Plants

Plants have been known to impact people’s emotions and mental state. They are also able to purify the air and increase the oxygen available in a room.

According to a Nasa study, growing plants in the office will help clean the air and will improve health. The study also reveals that plants have a psychological effect on humans: that a person will recover faster from an illness when plants are available.

Growing a plant indoors will re-energize your green lifestyle. This is because tending to an indoor plant daily reminds us of the importance of caring for the Earth.

Once you start appreciating mother nature, you will be prompted to adopt other eco-conscious habits around the office.

Fence Your Office Using Aluminum

Purchase an aluminum fence from Aluminum Fences Direct and use it to fence your office. Using Aluminum will prevent a tree from being chopped down and will save you money on upkeep since aluminum does not need constant repairs like wood fences.

Maintaining a wood fence can be expensive and toxic. Treating wood requires chemicals that are harmful to humans and wildlife. On the other hand, an aluminum fence does not need to be treated using toxic chemicals. With an aluminum fence, you will not have to worry about using preservative treatments, or termite protection.

In addition, Aluminum does not corrode. An aluminum fence can easily be repurposed without causing harm to the environment. This is because Aluminum is highly durable, lightweight, and recyclable.

Allow Employees to Telecommute and Teleconference

More than ever, technology has unleashed hundreds of tools that enable employees to work without visiting the office.

When staff members are occasionally allowed to work remotely, these will be the benefits:

• Electricity consumption will reduce – Working at home will give you a chance to consume only the energy that is required.
• Reduced printing – At home, you will only print what is required. Therefore, you will save trees and any unwanted waste.
• Reduced carbon emissions – When you reduce traveling, you will cut down on the amount of carbon emissions that come from vehicles, trains, and airplanes.

Encourage a Greener Lifestyle

Enforce green habits among your colleagues at the office. For example, you can make it a policy to recycle aluminum, paper, and plastic.

You can also encourage employees to cycle or jog to work. Other helpful strategies include:

• Promote the use of organic coffee
• Switch to green cleaning products
• Reduce the consumption of office supplies while promoting reuse
• Reduce reliance on power
• Encourage employees to print only when it is necessary

Conclusion

If your 2017 goal is to have an eco-friendly office, then you are on the right track to preserving the environment and providing a healthier working workplace. Consider these strategies and encourage everyone to participate.