Tips For Creating a Green Office Space

Offices tend to have a large carbon footprint despite the numerous opportunities to go green. Many people don’t realize how easy it is to minimize your office’s impact on the environment, while also cutting down expenses. If you’re hoping to become more environmentally-friendly in your office, we have put together some tips for creating a green office space below.

1. Use Eco-Friendly Office Supplies

These include compostable cups and recycled paper products such as printer paper, paper towels, tissues, and post-it notes.

2. Only Print When Necessary

As offices continue to incorporate technology into their business operations, printing is becoming less necessary. Business leaders should, therefore, discourage their employees from printing documents by sharing documents virtually.

3. Consider a Smaller Space

Large office spaces require more maintenance and use more utilities, which results in higher bills. If you have unused conference rooms or other empty spaces in your office, you should think about forgoing that extra space in favor of a smaller, green office space.

In addition, if you find that many of your employees are working remotely, you should consider a coworking space. Turnkey offers affordable and professional shared workspaces for companies looking to downsize. Start your search at TurnkeyOfficeSpace.com.

4. Use a Smart Power Strip

Computers, printers, and other large appliances use a lot of energy. These appliances will even continue using energy when they are not in use and not turned off completely. An easy and affordable solution to this is a smart power strip. These power strips have adjustable timers that you can use to program what time it should shut off. Other power strips are more fancy, with the ability to sense when the office has been cleared. The power strip will then turn off all of the appliances plugged into it. This smart technology will benefit both the environment and your wallet due to the savings on utility costs.

5. Use Energy-Efficient Bulbs or Natural Light

Many offices are equipped with large windows that fill the rooms with natural light. On most days, it will not be necessary to turn on the artificial lights in your office due to the bright natural light seeping through windows. If you do not have windows that emit large amounts of natural light, consider moving into a different office that does. However, if your office must use artificial lighting, you should look into compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and LED lights. These have been proven to be the most energy-efficient bulbs.

6. Adjust Your Thermostat

If you are able to control the thermostat in your office, keep the temperature during winter months at a maximum of 70 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present and 60 degrees Fahrenheit when the office is empty. Weather-stripping and caulking can also help prevent heat loss from the office windows and doors. During warmer months, try to use less air conditioning and more fans. If there’s a nice breeze, open a window!

7. Source Office Snacks Locally

Most offices have a snack bar, but few fill it with food items that are produced organically and sourced locally. Try going to a local farmers market and pick up fruit and other snacks. These pack the best flavor as well as a small carbon footprint.

8. Add Some Plants

What’s a green office space without some actual green! Adding plants to your office is not only aesthetically pleasing but also works to recycle the air.

9. Recycle!

This one is probably obvious, but we’ll include it anyway. You should have a recycle bin that is easily accessible to employees in your office. Make sure everyone is aware of its location so that there is no excuse not to recycle appropriate items.

10. Teach Your Employees About Going Green

Try hosting a seminar to teach employees about lifestyle changes they can make in order to be more environmentally-friendly. This will help them understand the importance of maintaining a green office space, while also encouraging them to practice these strategies outside of work.

Implementing these practices in your office will not only be cost-effective, but will allow you to feel better about your business’ impact on the Earth. Even more, you can talk about these strategies on your website, as many people will respect your business for providing a green office space.