Green tips for an environmentally friendly office space

It’s a New Year here at Gray Office Park and one of our main goals is to build a environmentally friendly office space. In the spirit of that resolution, here are some tips you can employ to make your office and even your temporary ‘work-from-home’ space more environmentally friendly.

Paper Free Zone

A truly environmentally friendly office is a paper free one. That my not be a feasible solution for our office but here are some ideas that could help you reduce your paper usage:
Keep things digital wherever possible. For example, you could get into the habit of reviewing digital documents on screen as opposed to printing them.
File sharing through platforms such as Google Docs or Dropbox is a great way of virtually eliminating the need to print documents.
And finally, why not share your company news through a digital newsletter? Not only will it minimise your carbon footprint, it will also reduce any costs associated with printing and / or distributing your newsletters.

Firmly Planted

Don’t underestimate the benefits that come with having fresh cut flowers and plants in your office. The increased oxygen they produce helps to counteract any chemicals in the air from cleaning products, office furniture etc. And let’s face it, there’s something about having fresh flowers and plants in your office that makes for a happier work space.

Naturally Lit

Making the most of any natural light you have available is a smart way to reduce your existing electricity bill. You can further enhance the effect of your natural lighting by using light wall colours, and high gloss sheens which will reflect daylight. In addition to reduced electrical billing, having access to natural light has is physically beneficial as it helps produce much needed Vitamin D as well as regulate your sleep cycles.

Keep It Clean

Switching to cloth towels will greatly reduce the amount of paper waste in any office and using eco-friendly cleaning products will lessen the presence of any harmful chemicals in an office keeping everyone much healthier.

Keep It Contained

Water, water everywhere but is what we are drinking it out of environmentally friendly? Bottled water is certainly convenient but if you really want to be kinder to the environment, swap your plastic bottle for a good old fashioned glass that you refill at the office water cooler. Instead of having your daily coffee / tea in a disposable, why not buy a reusable mug – there are so many coffee shops offering rewards in exchange for the purchase of a branded reusable cup. And bringing your lunch to work in reusable containers is a sure fire way of reducing physical waste and being kinder to the environment.