Create a green office in 5 simple steps

Becoming aware of sustainability

Sustainability is a theme that has been on the to-do list of your organization for months, maybe even years. However, you can make savings in various areas and in this way contribute to a cleaner environment. Whether you are a CEO, a manager or an employee, everyone has the opportunity to influence sustainability in the office space.

Sustainable office space will contribute to your company's image.

Sustainability is a broad concept. It contains everything that has to do with the environment, ecology and responsible living. This involves the three pillars: people, planet and profit. Every company wants to achieve a certain profit, but it is important that you, as an entrepreneur, also take into account the people and the environment around the company.

#1 Start with waste processing

We produce a great deal of waste within the office environment, which is why separating waste is desirable, not only for the environment but also from a financial point of view. Research shows that 35% of Dutch companies pay little or no attention to waste separation.
Reasons why your company is lagging behind in waste processing, are partly due to the fact that we are more facilitated at home and forced to separate waste. So, it is time to deal with waste processing better in your office space and improve the waste processing accommodations in your office space.

This is how you do it!

First of all, map out for your company which types of waste are most common in the workplace. Normally these are mainly paper, cardboard, ink cartridges, and other waste. After mapping all types of waste in your office space, the next step is to make sure that you have the waste containers in a central place in the office and that they clearly indicate what kind of waste it is. This means that not everything ends up in a large pile of residual waste.

Avoid personal trash cans under the desks and provide one general trash container.     
       

In addition, avoid personal waste containers under the desks of your employees. These cans are only used for residual waste, which will cause an increase in the total amount of residual waste. By removing personal trash cans under the desk, employees will walk to the central waste containers.

Waste separation is an important issue within corporate social responsibility.

The effects of waste disposal

As we indicated earlier, it is good for the environment and company portfolio to separate waste, but there are also several reasons to start processing waste today. The company image will also benefit from it. One point high on the agenda of many companies is corporate social responsibility. Moreover, waste separation is another important item on this agenda.

#2 Insulate your office space

Insulation is a way of ensuring that the warm air in your office space does not escape. Since the average temperature in the Netherlands is around 12 degrees Celsius and the average temperature indoors is around 18 and 22 degrees Celsius, you can imagine that keeping warm air indoors has many advantages. A number of advantages can be found below.

There are various subsidy possibilities in the Netherlands for the insulation of your office space. The VAT rate is only 6%.

The usefulness of insulated office space

Using insulation to reduce heat loss in the office space is one of the easiest ways to reduce energy costs. You will also reduce your dependence on heat sources and air conditioning in the office space, which results in cost savings.

Even with glass walls, an office space can be insulated. 

The easiest way to increase the value of your office space is to invest in energy efficiency, especially if you ever upgrade your business to a larger working environment. There is a rule of thumb that says that you can add about 75% of the insulation costs to the value of your office space. Not surprisingly: an insulated office consumes much less energy. There are also various subsidy possibilities for the insulation of your office space on which the VAT rate is only 6% in the Netherlands.

An insulated office uses much less energy.

#3 Go for economic lighting

Your office space is bustling with activity during the day, no wonder that there will be a lot of lighting turned on. Lamps that are switched on in rooms that we do not use are a shame. This, of course, also applies to the lights in office buildings. So make sure that, where possible, the lighting switches off automatically when the room is no longer in use.

Choose lamps that are economic, i.e. LED lamps. These lamps are currently the most sustainable option and will last for a long time. In addition, the energy label is noted on the lamp's packaging. A lamp with an energy label A++ is the most economic. To know how energy efficient the lamp really is, divide the number of lumens (the amount of light) by the number of watts (the current that the lamp uses).

Introduce economic lighting in the office space. 

#4 Sustainable office furniture

Are you about to purchase sustainable office furniture soon? You can choose to go for traditional ownership with associated costs and worries, but nowadays you have the opportunity to rent, rent-purchase or purchase office furniture. In this way, you can use the furniture carefree instead of owning it. You also have the possibility to scale up and down monthly, so you do not have unnecessary empty workplaces. Curious about the possibilities?

Take a look in Officeplanner

With glass walls in your office space you visualize that your company stands for transparency and open communication.

#5 Stimulate productivity with glass

Glass walls in your office space give a contemporary look. Lots of light and large rooms play an important role in this. Nothing is better than starting the day with the sun rays that invade your office space. This means that you need less artificial light to illuminate the office space, which in turn has a positive effect on your monthly energy bill.

Increase productivity with glass walls. 

With glass walls in your office space, you can visualize that your company stands for transparency and open communication. Nothing stimulates productivity better than offering a pleasant, comfortable workspace. Natural light plays an important role in this.

Questions about tackling your office space?

Now that you know all the ins and outs of sustainability in the office, it is possible that you are first and foremost looking for a sustainable office space. SKEPP's real estate consultants are happy to help you with this. They will help you find the perfect office space for your organization. After you have found the perfect business accommodation, you will, of course, provide it with our tips to create a sustainable office space!

Contact us!