How to Create a Green Office Space in Five Easy Steps

Converting to green energy is one of the most popular office trends. More and more offices are making their spaces green in order to conserve energy, increase their bottom line, and boost employee satisfaction and productivity.

If you are considering making your office greener, here are five easy ways to do that.

1. Create a Recycling Program

Most offices generate a lot of waste, particularly paper waste. You can create programs in your office that will recycle as much of these wastes as possible. For paper, you can put bins in areas of your office where everyone can easily access the bins. Used paper can be re-used for reprinting, taking down notes, or other purposes as long as they are not going to be used for printing important documents. You can also parternup with a local recycling firm and have the accumulated paper trash picked up.

In order to incentivize your employees to participate in recycling programs, you can give small rewards so that they will be encouraged. These prizes can be snacks or free lunch; the sky's the limit for a creative boss!

2. Get Indoor Plants

There are so many studies that have already proven that having plants in your office is a great way to boost employee productivity. Offices that have plants report that employees have shown a 26% increase in employee productivity and well as a 30% decrease in sickness-related employee absences. What's more, 6% of employees have even reported that they experienced better sleep quality.

Most offices have low natural light, so you need plants that can thrive in indoor settings. Look for plants with wide, waxy leaves such as Chinese evergreens or Peace lilies. You can also try plants that are hardy and can survive with very little water and can flourish in partial shade. Fortune or money plants are great choices because they don't take up a lot of space as well.

3. Cut Down on Single-Use Items

Aside from plastic and paper waste that's generated from your office, another additional source of waste is when employees use single-use items such as plastic cups, utensils, and plates. Think about it! Whenever your employees eat a delivered lunch at your office, they'll be throwing away the cups, utensils, and containers that came with the take-out. Now, multiply the number of employees that you have with the average number of take-out containers that you get in a month!

Encourage your employees to use reusable cups, plates, and utensils to reduce plastic waste in your office. If you have an employee break room, you can have your employees store their reusable items there safely. If you want to take it a step further, you can even encourage your employees to bring a bagged lunch from home! Using bagged lunches will further decrease the amount of plastic and paper waste that your office produces.

4. Invest in Renewable Energy Sources

If you really want to make a statement with your green initiative in the office, you should consider switching to renewable energy sources. These days, there are so many affordable and accessible renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy. Wind energy is probably not a practical solution for most offices. However, you can switch to solar and replace the lights to reduce your energy need.

When picking a company that manufactures and installs solar units make sure they offer full-service warranty and is backed up by a solid insurance package. Make sure the company has both professional and general liability insurance for small business. The general liability insurance protects your business property. If any damage occurs due to the installation the general liability insurance package of the company is going to cover the cost. Professional liability cover ensures that their warranties are backed up by insurance packages.

Why the sudden focus on insurance? The insurance claims for the renewable energy sector is on the rise. A lot of it is due to weather-damaged equipment, defective designs, and others. For instance, if the installation fails to produce the promised power output or results in long-term property damage, you want a company that's backed up by a solid insurance provider so you can file claims.

5. Utilize Your Office's Layout

If you don't have the budget for major renovations, you can utilize the existing layout in your office. Open windows to allow natural light and fresh air inside as much as possible. You can also move large furniture away from the window so that they don't block the heat and sunlight coming from the outside.

On the other hand, you can also use office layout to preserve heat during the winter. Using a thermostat to regulate heat is one of the biggest expenses during wintertime. Use thick curtains to block cold drafts from the outside, and you can also move large furniture toward the windows to preserve heat inside your office. You can also encourage your employees to wear thicker office wear so that you won't need to rely on office heating too much.