Tips To Make Your Next Office Renovation More Sustainable

Julie Starr • May 31, 2021



The need for sustainability is increasingly gaining ground as businesses are putting suitable measures to make their operations as green as possible. But sustainability doesn’t always have to do with how you run your business, as it also involves where you run it. According to experts , buildings contribute over 30% of all carbon emissions while being responsible for about 40% of energy consumption in general. Of these stats, office buildings take up about a third. Meaning there’s still a lot to do regarding making commercial buildings more eco-friendly. And you can do your part by ensuring that your next office renovation is a more sustainable one. So, does your workspace need a bit of a tune-up? Use the following tips to make your renovation more environmentally sustainable. 

Get an energy expert to assess the situation

Your main goal, aside from sprucing up your office’s appearance, is to ensure that you reduce energy levels and carbon emissions as much as possible. One of the best ways to achieve this is to hire an expert to assess the current state of your office and make a list of the areas that require changes to reduce carbon emissions. 

Next, ensure that all the professionals or workers involved in the renovation work together to deliver an integrated strategy to make your office building or workspace more energy-efficient. That means you need to ensure that your architect, suppliers, and the building owner or landlord, are all fully aware of the required upgrade changes. One massive benefit of getting everyone on the same page is that they can make efficient upgrade suggestions you might not have thought about.

Bring your workers up to speed

Your working staff may not necessarily be directly involved in the renovation process, but that does not mean you should leave them uninformed about the process. Take the time to educate your team about the needed renovation, what they should expect to see differently, and how the changes will benefit them and the environment. After informing them about the changes, you can encourage them to make recommendations available if they have any.

You should arrange a temporary work environment as your renovation project goes on. Also, don’t forget to reward their patience, commitment, and hard work by picking up some gifts for employees . 

Bring in the natural elements

Once you have everyone on the same page, it is time to focus on putting the right design changes in place. The right renovations changes will depend on what you want out of your project; for example, are you creating more space? But no matter the reason behind your renovation, there are some things you cannot ignore. And one of them is letting in more natural light. Discuss with your team how best to design your office renovation in a way that allows natural light to flow in and reduce your reliance on artificial options. 

Alternatively, you can opt for more efficient artificial light options like LED or CFL lighting. Another natural element worth adding is a touch of plants. Plants have both aesthetic and health benefits too. They work around the clock to reduce polluting agents in the air, release oxygen, and boost humidity, making them ideal for office spaces with dry air. And speaking of dry air, you should also undertake your renovation in a way that improves natural airflow. Take advantage of your renovation to replace or clean out old windows and air vents to improve airflow. Blocked air vents will not only increase your energy bills it will also put the health of your employees at risk.

Use eco-friendly building materials

Speak with your architect, designers, suppliers, etc., about more environmentally friendly renovation materials . From your new wall paint to your fixtures and furniture options, as well as other materials for your renovation, ensure you pay attention to more sustainable building materials. For example, when selecting your office furniture, you might want to consider avoiding options made from wood composites, as they tend to contain very high levels of volatile organic compounds. 

Follow regulatory requirements

Before you start your renovation project, you should ensure that you know and follow all regulatory requirements for your office building plans. Such laws are in place as a way of providing environmental protection while promoting safety. You need to ensure that you meet every standard set in the regulations right from the onset of your project. As mentioned earlier, following such instructions will help you reduce your carbon footprint and save a lot of money in the process. 

 

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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