{"id":18759,"date":"2022-02-22T11:28:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T16:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/?p=18759"},"modified":"2024-07-01T11:08:23","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T15:08:23","slug":"your-green-office-how-to-create-an-eco-friendly-work-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/your-space\/organization\/your-green-office-how-to-create-an-eco-friendly-work-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Green Office \u2013 How to Create an Eco-friendly Work Space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Working from home? Embrace the green office lifestyle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since the advent of the modern workplace, there has never been more opportunity to work from home (WFH). From customer service and data entry to management, jobs that have traditionally required a commute, a desk and plenty of dry-cleaning bills have suddenly become up to 100% virtual. The benefits are undeniable for employees, employers, and the environment \u2013 and the trend only seems to be heading upwards. In fact, Ladders<\/a> estimates that up to 25% of professional jobs will be remote by the end of 2022. High as it already is, the percentage is still anticipated to increase through 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a remote worker \u2013 or\nplanning to become one soon \u2013 it\u2019s key to have a dedicated workspace to call\nyour own within your home environment. While it may seem relaxing to sit on the\ncouch with your laptop on your legs all day, that may not be a sustainable long-term.\nAnd recreating the exact replica of your on-site office at home is not\nnecessarily the solution either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a happy medium, many WFH employees are taking the time to carve out a green office in their house or apartment. Why waste all the space, electricity, and resources a traditional office consumes when you can do it so much better for yourself and the environment with a little legwork and elbow grease? Keep reading for our top green office ideas to make a sustainable workspace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green Office Supplies <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first order of business at your green office should be to source, you guessed it, green office supplies. The greenest of them all will be anything reused, as our post on upcycling as a home d\u00e9cor trend<\/a> explores. Desks can be made of anything flat you have lying around (doors, stone, extra wood) and a few sawhorses to lay it across. Wall shelves can be repurposed from extra plywood or broken bookcase shelves. And office chairs can be easily found on Craigslist and at thrift stores. (It may not surprise you to discover that a lot of offices are liquidating their entire collection of furniture at extremely cheap prices.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One tip for creating a green office space is to upcycle or flip your office furniture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Try to minimize the amount of extraneous machinery and\nsupplies you collect (e.g., printer, notebooks, desk phone, etc.) and strive to\nbe paper-free in your green\noffice. Use note-taking apps during meetings, digitize any documents\nthat are still in paper form, and make sure any invoices you issue (or bills\nyou have to pay) are online. Not only does it save paper, ink and power, but it\nalso makes document storage much easier, more secure and more accessible. If\nyou have to use paper, make sure the printer is set to print on both sides and\nin black and white. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way to commit to a sustainable workplace is by\nmaking a vow to turn off and unplug your devices at night. Anything that is\nplugged in is drawing \u201cphantom power.\u201d Ensuring that everything is shut down\nand unplugged will help save your energy \u2013 and your mind \u2013 by creating a\ndefinite \u201csign out time\u201d to your workday. Add another eco-friendly office supply to the list with\nan energy-efficient power strip. It\u2019ll make the task easier and more efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green Office Equipment <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We covered office supplies above\u2026but what about green office equipment? First, if your employer is outfitting you with anything new for your WFH setup, ask for the most energy-efficient version of it as possible (preferably with the Energy Star qualification). Let it be known if you don\u2019t need quite the horsepower you had at the office. Laptops, for instance, use less than one-third of the energy as desktop computers. But be careful not to leave it plugged in all day. Overcharging a laptop battery may have negative impacts on the computer over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Laptops use less energy than a desktop computer. Consider unplugging each day for a couple of hours to save energy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another green office idea is to set all of your electronics to\nautomatically switch to \u201csleep\u201d mode when not in use. In addition to saving\nenergy, this step will also keep your equipment cooler which will extend its\nlifespan and reduce your AC bill. Win win!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants: A Low-key and Sustainable Workplace Solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most sustainable workplace solution is a gift from Mother Nature herself: houseplants. Greenery is proven to help reduce stress, increase productivity, and clean the air. Plus, they can be nice to look at \u2013 especially if you invest in a few \u201cstatement plants\u201d in cool pots. If you\u2019re worried about the expense, check out the tips in our recent blog on repurposing plastic containers<\/a>. You might be surprised by how far a little dirt, a few cuttings, and an old container will go to make your space warm and inviting while still maintaining a professional vibe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Transform your office into a green office, literally, by adding more plants.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re worried about a missing green thumb, don’t fret.\nMany houseplants are especially hardy and can survive in low light, including\nChinese Evergreen, Philodendron and Bird\u2019s Nest Fern. If you often forget to\nwater, pick up a Snake Plant. These beauties only need to be watered about once\nevery two weeks. Set a reminder on your (virtual) calendar and you\u2019ll be good\nto go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best Lighting for Your Eco Workspace<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important aspects of your new eco workspace is the lighting. Goodbye, flickering overhead tubes! Instead, opt for a desk close to a window so you can rely on natural light as much as possible. If that\u2019s not in the cards, choose small lamps rather than overhead lighting for maximum energy efficiency. If you\u2019re buying new for your sustainable workspace, look for lamps that are specifically built for energy efficiency. If you\u2019re swapping a desk lamp or floor lamp from somewhere else in your home, replace any incandescent light bulbs with LED lights to make a big impact on your bottom line and the earth at large. (LEDs last up to 20 times longer than their incandescent counterparts, which means less waste, less cost and less changing the light bulb.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Move your work space to a place with more natural light in your home and switch out your old light bulbs with energy saving bulbs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From all indications, working from home is the new reality for the foreseeable future. If you\u2019re planning to go remote, make the effort to create a space that nurtures you while limiting negative impacts to the environment. Small changes can add up to big results. Coordinate with your employer to champion sustainable workspace solutions like going paperless or switching from desktops to laptops.  They\u2019ll appreciate the initiative \u2013 and the return on investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since the advent of the modern workplace, there has never been more opportunity to work from home (WFH). From customer service and data entry to management, jobs that have traditionally required a commute, a desk and plenty of dry-cleaning bills have suddenly become up to 100% virtual. The benefits are undeniable for employees, employers, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":18765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,38,640],"tags":[1563,1564,1565],"class_list":["post-18759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diy-projects","category-organization","category-your-home","tag-eco-friendly-office","tag-green-home-office-ideas","tag-green-office"],"yoast_head":"\r\nYour Green Office \u2013 How to Create an Eco-friendly Work Space | The Storage Space<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want a more sustainable office? 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