How to Green Your Work Place

There is a connection between healthy people and a healthy planet and a greener workplace - the place we spend most of our waking hours - is better for both you and the planet.

Indoor Air Quality is a priority at work. It makes people healthier, happier and more productive. You can implement easy ways to create a healthier work environment that also benefits the environment. For instance, inviting natural daylight, creating green outdoor space and using some healthy ideas in the lunchroom. These small steps will save energy, create a more pleasant work place and keep you healthier.

Natural Daylighting Designing offices to utilize natural daylight helps cut down on the need for artificial lighting. This has proven to increase worker productivity and reduces the building’s energy load. Less artificial lighting also means less heat and less strain on HVAC systems, further reducing overall energy load.

If your office is a cubicle-locked island isolated from natural daylight, talk to your boss about the benefits a little rearranging can do and let the sun shine with a little shift of the space. Better Bricks has a nice write up about the benefits of natural daylighting at Productivity and Satisfaction: Daylight Makes the Difference.

A Little Green Space When people can connect to nature during there work day it benefits everyone. Even small green spaces can calm blood pressure, decrease stress and help relax the mind for better concentration.

Offices are filled with man-made finishes, furnishings and noise - not a healthy natural environment. Offices should provide a little escape into nature. It can be as simple as a bench under a tree or a picnic table where employees can sit outside for lunch and breaks.

If your office is lacking in nearby outdoor amenities, talk to your boss about making a little green investment. The cost is minimal compared to the benefits. The up side, making a little more green space will not only make employees happier and healthier, it can help the planet.

Offices are often built with and surrounded by impervious surfaces which contribute to stormwater runoff and water pollution. A little green outdoor space will help soak up rainwater and help restore the natural hydrological cycle. Gardens work better than grass, which can be as bad as pavement. But kind of like rock-paper-scissors, grass sure beats pavement.

Green Break Room Even the most well-intended DIY luncher can succumb to the munchies. Talk to your office manager about some healthier supplies in the office kitchen. There’s likely a local farmer who could organize a lunchroom lineup. If you’ve already got a snack supplier, approach them about alternatives that are organic, local and healthier.

Same goes for drinks, especially coffee. Coffee is the second most traded commodity on the planet next to oil. Go for organic and support farmers direct to keep it socially responsible. You can order Costa Rican blends direct from the people that grow the beans here, delicious and ultimate fair trade.

*Note: The information in this article is general advice and not meant as a substitute for personal guidance from a financial advisor, real estate professional or legal counsel. Although the author is a licensed realtor, the advice given in this article does not constitute any client contract or agreement between the author and the user. The author is not responsible for any losses, damages or claims that may result from your decisions.