Research has shown that an office designed with the environment in mind can help improve your workplace culture, making it around 16% more productive whilst also saving your business money.
So, if you’re planning on making some office upgrades for the new year, help your business thrive and keep these eco-friendly tips in mind when designing your new office.
Consider Your Building Materials
Careful consideration of what materials you use in your refurb could enhance your eco-credentials so it’s worth it to do some research during the design process.
As an example, metal tends to erode over time and emit harmful substances as a result. Glass, however, is both chemically inert and recyclable, making it an environmentally-friendly choice when upgrading your interiors.
An easy way to add glass to your designs is by installing tempered glass balustrades, such as the ones available from leading manufacturer Barrier Components. They are modern, durable, safe (especially if you have kids in and around your business), easy to maintain, simple to install and allow more light into your building, as well as scoring you eco points.
Another design option is using cork or bamboo wooden flooring as this is more sustainable than other types of wood and looking out for furniture made from FSC certified wood, which comes from responsibly-managed forests.
LED Office Lights
A smart way to reduce your energy usage (and therefore your energy bills) in the office is by installing LED lights. They use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting, making them the ideal economical option for your commercial space.
Not only will installing these environmentally-friendly LED lights save your business money on overhead costs, they also contain no toxic elements (unlike fluorescent strip lights that contain mercury and are likely to contaminate the environment when disposed of in a landfill).
Energy Upgrades
You can ensure your business from home runs an eco-friendly office by upgrading the ways in which your energy is consumed. This can be achieved in a number of ways, whether you want to switch to a renewable energy supplier or simply by having better management of the heating controls.
For example, you should get to know your heating settings to make sure you’re not unnecessarily heating the office during evenings or weekends when the office isn’t in use. Installing a smart meter can help with this as you can monitor your electricity usage in real-time and keep a tighter rein on the energy used?
Save your business money this year with some eco-friendly office refurbishments. Not only can these investments help your business thrive, they’ll also encourage a more productive working environment and reduce your business costs with their energy-saving credentials.
