How office space can go green

‘Sustainability’ and ‘environment’ seem to be the words of the decade. With every organization trying to be eco-friendly, a company’s office space becomes a major aspect to be turned green. The increasing demand for the same is getting noticed by interior designers, real estate brokers, serviced office providers and workplace maintenance contractors.

For an office to go green, the process starts right from the choice of location, to the structure and its wiring, to sourcing materials and interior decoration, including a programme to orient employees about going green and finally having the same permeate into the daily functioning of the office.

Choice of location usually depends on proximity to clientele, a reputed business address etc… However, some companies have shifted to less crowded suburban area for larger space and a better surrounding environment. Space is directly proportional employee efficiency and inversely related to wastage, as offices which are smaller and cramped up lead to increased collection of dust and poor ventilation.

Air conditioning and lighting are an integral part of the office infrastructure and also 2 major considerations for the green office. Air pollution comes from a variety of sources including vehicle exhaust brought in by the ventilation, airborne pathogens, particles from carpets and paper, ozone, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carcinogenic Volatile Organic Compounds and carbon black generated by printers and photocopiers. Increased use of HEPA filters ensures clean air to employees and significantly improves productivity. It also ensures a longer life for the air conditioning system as it reduces deposits on filters and ducts.

Lighting is another major consideration for the green office. Compact fluorescents in pendant type fixtures that can be hung over desks or under cabinets ensure that only the required space is lit up. Outdated lighting is harsh on the eye, causes glare and also burns away more electricity. In addition to energy efficient lamps (eg: CFL, T53, T18), lighting controls can also be used to save energy.

The simple task of turning off the lights on leaving is unfortunately, frequently forgotten. If reminders and posters fail, try notes on the rear side of the door. If even those were to fail, resort to automatic controls which turn off lights when there is no one in the room. While there are complicated Ultrasonic and Infra-red detectors available, the more practical ones are vacancy detectors which require a person to manually turn on the lights but automatically turn them off when the people leave the room.

Sourcing materials which are organically safe and efficient also play a major role in the ’green office dream’. Nowadays many products come made of a single raw material (which is easy to recycle) rather than several different fittings put together. However, ‘going green’ is being taken to new heights by having office furniture made out of entirely recycled material.

The standard cliché of 'orienting your personnel' applies to going green as well. By clearly defining the need and the philosophy behind the company’s initiatives to go green, employees can clearly understand and respect the practices that are put into place. It also allows for innovative ‘green ideas’ from the employees.

Daily practices involve how the employees use the office space as well as how the various functions and work-essentials like printers, computers etc… are made ‘greener’. Some of the best and more practical practices include having stationary made of recycled paper and material, eco-friendly (CFL) lights, separation of garbage, rain-water harvesting, solar powered water heaters and lights and a complete cut on the usage of potentially toxic material in furniture, machines etc… Major office supplies players like Office Depot already sell recycled or eco-friendly paper. There are also complete portals for green office supplies right from stationary to cleaning and maintenance materials like Thegreenoffice.com and Greenofficestore.com.

Video-conferencing has received a lot of attention these days for its ‘green’ nature, besides the resultant long-term cost savings. Video conferencing has been recording steady growth in the recent past; though it took a small hit in 2009 due to an overall scaling back on infrastructure spends.

Printers with ‘save paper’ signs next to them are the simplest method to keeping wastage in check. Another consideration is the location and maintenance of printers and photocopiers which contribute significantly to the interior pollution. Here, Xerox solid ink offers a more clean and efficient solution as compared to standard toners. Recycling of cartridges by certified companies is also an emerging practice to go green.

But finally, what really matters is how small, daily practices are made more environment-friendly. For example, in the washrooms a switch from individually folded napkins to rolls can significantly reduce wastage. Also, try paper cups (available with handles) instead of the more prevalent Styrofoam.

Some serviced office providers, in particular, has been 'keeping it green' despite the mistaken preconception of it taking a direct hit at operating costs. For example, Icon Business Centres in Leeds has the highest BREAM (The Environmental Assessment Method for Buildings around the World) ranking in the entire industry with great practices like rain-water harvesting systems for sewage and combined heat and power systems. Another provider Avanta, one of the leading UK serviced office operators, started an ‘eco button campaign’ in December 2008 at all their centres. This involved the installation of power saving buttons for PCs when not in use. Avanta was able to save an average of 34 tons of CO2 for approximately 500 computers.