Climate change has been rapidly transforming the world as we know it, and it is becoming increasingly important to work together and slow it down. Annual waste generation is expected to grow to 3.4 billion tons by 2050, a 70% increase from its 2.01 billion ton figure in 2016. This means we have a lot of catching up to do.
Given the current circumstances, we need to start making a change to our homes, workplaces, and creative corners to become more sustainable. However, before addressing the changes, let’s first look at the reasons that male sustainable and eco-friendly creative spaces important.
Why You Need a Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Creative Space
There are several reasons why shifting to sustainable and eco-friendly work and creative spaces are beneficial for organizations.
1.Good for the Environment
The most obvious reason for sustainable creative spaces being important is that they are better for the environment. Reducing the production of waste, carbon emissions, and pollutants will slow down the deterioration of the Earth’s environment. A healthier environment is beneficial for all of us.
2.Cost-Efficient in the Long Term
Sustainable and eco-friendly workspaces are cost-efficient for organizations in the long run because they optimize energy consumption, rely on durable materials, and recycle products. The reduced cost of routine expenses eventually creates cost efficiencies and balances out the higher initial cost of installation.
3.Long-Term Feasibility
Researchers studied and compared the performance of participants working in a regular building versus an eco-friendly building. They concluded that employees with offices in the eco-friendly building were 30% less likely to fall sick, 26% more likely to have a better cognitive function, and 6% more likely to have less trouble sleeping.
This proves that having sustainable and eco-friendly workspaces results in the uplifting of employee wellness. The healthier and happier the employees, the better will be the organizational progress and profitability.
4.Improved Business Image
Choosing a more sustainable work and creative model also has several underlying benefits for an organization’s external image and brand equity. Businesses engaged in sustainable working models are more likely to have a better image among stakeholders, improving their overall brand equity.
The improved brand image leads to several benefits in its own right.
a. It attracts more clients who are interested in partnering with companies with sustainable business models.
b. It attracts more clients due to the positive word of mouth.
c. It improves the talent pool, as more talented individuals are interested in working for responsible organizations.
These are some of the most prominent reasons for having sustainable creative spaces and corners play a crucial role in pushing organizations towards excellence.
Ways to Make Your Creative Corner More Sustainable and Eco-Friendly
Now that you know how opting for sustainable and eco-friendly can be beneficial in several ways, let’s consider the various steps you can take to accomplish this feat.
1.Reduce Paper Usage
Reducing paper usage is the first step to establishing an eco-friendly creative corner. A majority of the world has access to digital resources and restructured itself to take advantage of faster digital communication. However, we have yet to make significant changes in our operational models to be able to become paperless.
If going completely paperless is not a feasible option for you or your organization, try cutting down on as much paper waste as possible. You can achieve this by:
a. Reusing Old Paper – Reuse old printer papers with only one printed side to take printouts for document reviews.
b. Review Digitally – Software like Microsoft Office makes it extremely easy to review and make changes to documents digitally. Cut down on printed reviews as much as you can and provide digital reviews to your subordinates.
c. Take Digital Notes – Whether you are at an internal or external meeting, switch to taking digital notes to reduce paper wastage.
2.Choose Digital Signatures
A major source of paper wastage comes from the documentation that needs signing. However, with the current technology, you can easily get documents digitally signed to reduce logical inefficiencies and paper wastage.
If it is not possible to have digital signatures for external contracts, try to start normalizing digital signatures for your internal matters. There are several benefits of using digital signatures.
Reduced Paper Waste
As mentioned above, shifting to digital signatures will pave the way for digital contracts and help reduce paper waste. This alone will create a massive shift towards sustainable operations.
Reduced Administrative Costs
Due to reduced paper usage, you will be able to cut down extensively on administrative costs. Your stationery expenses will reduce, and you will no longer need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to create organized storage space for all the paperwork.
Higher Flexibility
It will make add flexibility to your framework, and you will be ready to switch fully to digital signatures soon as the business environment becomes more accepting of this change.
3.Add Eco-Friendly Furniture
One of the best ways you can create a sustainable creative corner is by adding eco-friendly furniture to it. Such furniture may come at a higher than usual cost compared to its counterparts, but due to its longer life and recyclable materials, it becomes far more cost-efficient in the long run.
We have had the opportunity to try out several options, but our favorite experience was with the Kana Bamboo Standing Desk, which is made entirely out of bamboo. In addition to being incredibly sturdy and completely natural, the desk is an absolute joy because it allows us to experience the benefits of a standing desk.
Recommended – Kana Bamboo Standing Desk
The Kana Bamboo Standing Desk is easily one of the best eco-friendly standing desks in the market. It is stable, natural, flexible, and offers all the health benefits of a standing desk you hope to get when making this choice.
Features
Although this desk is generally an amazing option, below are some of the most prominent features that make it stand out:
A.Long-Lasting
The Kana Bamboo Standing Desk is made from the best quality of bamboo which makes it an exceptionally durable and long-lasting product. While most desks start deteriorating after a few years of usage, this desk will keep going for several more years still.
B.Design Choices
The product comes in two main design options — curved and straight. You can choose the one you are most comfortable with and rest assured that the quality will be exactly as good as the other.
C.Keypad Options
One of the most practical functional features of the Kana Bamboo Standing Desk is the keypad. You can choose between the Basic Keypad, Standard Keypad, and Advanced Keypad.
§ Basic Keypad – Adjust table height
§ Standard Keypad – Adjust table height and program preferred height options to activate with the press of a button
§ Advanced Keypad – Backlit keypad, adjust table height, program preferred height options to activate with the press of a button, check the exact height on a digital LED screen.
D.Eco-Friendly
Lastly, the desk is eco-friendly, making it a safe product for the environment with minimal waste.
4.Optimize Energy Consumption
Optimizing your energy consumption is a great way to make your creative space more eco-friendly. Simply switching from incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient light bulbs can help reduce energy consumption by 70% to 75%.
You can also restructure your windows and infrastructure to allow more sunlight into the office. This will further reduce energy expenditure as you will not need as many light bulbs during the daytime.
5.Add Plants to Your Creative Space
Plants are important for personal wellbeing and have a positive impact on the health and environment. Having plants in the creative space will automatically create fresh and more oxygen-rich air, allowing employees to stay healthier naturally.
It will improve employee health and is eco-friendly.
6.Sustainable Procurement
A more complex aspect of shifting to a sustainable model for your creative corner is choosing sustainable procurement. Make sure you are working with partners who value sustainable business operations and offer eco-friendly raw materials.
In terms of service, you can evaluate how sustainable your vendor’s business model is before deciding to offer them a contract. While it may be a hassle initially, the decision will pay off in the long run.
Conclusion
To sum up, creating a sustainable and eco-friendly creative space or corner will help you contribute to the shift towards responsible consumption. Going paperless, optimizing energy consumption, and opting for eco-friendly office furniture are some of the most significant methods for becoming more eco-friendly.
If you are looking for eco-friendly office furniture, check out the FlexiSpot website. FlexiSpot has some of the most technologically advanced furniture which is not only sustainable but also designed to offer extensive health benefits.
