Go Green in the Office

Just a handful of years ago it seemed like the world’s resources were infinite. But we know that this isn’t the case and instead both individuals and companies need to focus on finding sustainable ways in which to grow.

At Rivendell we believe in doing our bit for the planet. From reducing our paper output to exercising a strict recycling policy and encouraging a greener commute.

So, if you don’t already operate on this ethos we’ve compiled some top tips including a selection of fantastic eco-flooring – to get you started.

Doing Our Bit for the Environment

Adopting a strict eco-friendly policy we are members of a number of organisations which allow us to remain green and continue to do our bit.

Ensuring we all recycle where we can our policy allows the team to help The Children’s Scrapstore; a Bristol based charity. Helping adults, children, schools, clubs, and libraries across the country the charity facilitates environments to improve play for children and young people.

Our recycling efforts don’t end in the office either, whereby we make sure that we dispose of old flooring when fitting new carpets, vinyl, or wooden floors.

Eco Interiors

Greening the space in which you work in has almost endless possibilities from furniture made with recycled materials, upcycled pieces, and green flooring.

There are a multitude of eco-friendly flooring options available for your premises; just ask the team. As adopting a more sustainable approach to daily life is more recognised eco flooring is a great place to start.

Take Alternative Flooring for example. Their pioneering Eco Collection is the first bio-degradable carpet launched in the United Kingdom. The hand woven, 100% natural wool really demonstrates a commitment to making a difference to the planet. And to top it off, it looks great too.

Take a look at the examples below from their Barefoot Collection and get in touch with the team for more information and advice regarding all Office Flooring:

Electricity, Lighting, and Heating

Did you know that leaving a monitor on overnight wastes enough energy to laser-print 800 A4 pages?

Endeavour to turn off your office computers, printers, and any other electricals, that will allow, when leaving the office at night. Alternatively make use of energy efficient settings such as setting your computers to “sleep” or “hibernation” rather than simply using a screen saver.

Equally you should be maximising the use of daylight where possible to avoid the need for artificial lighting altogether. But where lighting is needed, energy-saving light bulbs can help you cut down on energy as well as other costs.

Finally, why not try turning your office thermostat down by just one degree. Your employees will hardly noticed the difference and you’ll cut your energy bills by around 10%.

A Greener Commute

Driving to work every day can have a serious impact on the environment.

Meet with staff to discuss greener ways in which they could commute to work including car shares, public transport, cycling, and walking. You might want to try offering an incentive to anyone who tries new options.

Office Plants & Other Foliage

What better way to go green in the office than with the introduction of some plants.

Adding green to offices not only enlivens what might otherwise be a dull and sterile place but it has also been proven to increase productivity, lower stress, and improve morale. Challenging the way people look at the traditional workplace environment it seems that the design of “garden offices” is rising in popularity.

According to research, a green office communicates to its employees that their employer cares about them and their welfare. This form of office landscaping offers a wealth of benefits including:

• Visual – shades of green in the workplace has proven to be visually meditative which in turn leads to happier and healthier employees.
• Air Quality – foliage absorbs pollutants and dust particles and thus improves the quality of air.
• Reduces Stress – studies have indicated that indoor plants can reduce stress levels in work environments.
• Reduces Noise Levels – office plants can change the acoustics by reducing reverberation time therefore limiting distractions to employees.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Whilst equipping the office with a recycling bin is a great start, adopting the reduce, reuse, and recycle policy is much more than just throwing old notepaper in the blue bin.

Think about everything that you use; do you really need disposable cups at the water cooler?; can you use the other side of the used sheets of paper you’ve just thrown in the bin?

Rethink Your Workplace Culture

There are a multitude of ways in which you could adopt a greener culture in your office space; we’ve only touched the surface with our list here.

If you’re looking for to update the design of your office, in particular, your office floors, then get in touch with our team. Give us a call on 0117 963 7979 for more information, advice, and a no-obligation consultation.

Categorised in: Commercial Flooring, Eco Friendly Flooring, Hints and Tips

This post was written by Binks