Office plants as part of a sustainable (home) office

Reusable bags while shopping or separating different types of waste. These are just two simple examples of how you can live a more sustainable life as a private individual. After all, every little bit helps. But sustainability in an office space? That can be a lot more difficult. Especially if the opinions of your colleagues clash quite a bit when it comes to sustainability.

1. Invest in plants

Invest in a large number of houseplants. Plants are natural air purifiers and filter the air you are sitting in. Go for  office plants with large leaves such as the Alocasia and the Philodendron, or choose one of the many Ficus species. Do you want to get it right? Then go for a wall full of office plants. These so-called 'living walls' not only create atmosphere, but also help with ventilation and acoustics.

2. Use green cleaning products

Don't go for the cheapest, but for the greenest cleaning products. Choose biodegradable products. If these are also petroleum free and non-toxic, you're on the right track.

3. Distance yourself from all disposable products

Use reusable towels and dishcloths instead of kitchen paper. The same goes for the choice of plastic or paper cups. Do you exchange the plastic cups for glasses? Then make sure that proper arrangements are made about the dirty dishes. Used glasses and mugs can make  an office space  look messy.

4. Replace all halogen bulbs, energy saving bulbs and fluorescent tubes

The most durable lighting at the moment is LED lighting. A fine additional advantage: the lifespan of an LED lamp is no less than 15 to 25 years. Replace all low-energy LED bulbs and thus also directly distance yourself from the fluorescent tubes. Then you will also be equal to that unselfish lighting off! Do you still want to keep the fluorescent lighting? Then choose for LED TL. This is 70% to 80% more economical than an ordinary fluorescent lamp.

5. Go on standby together

Motivate your colleagues to set their computer to sleep mode when not in use. All tasks that are open on the computer will be paused in sleep mode. This reduces power consumption. Do the computers also have a sleep mode? Then choose Hibernate! As soon as a computer is in sleep mode, files are stored on the hard disk and the computer is switched off. A simple solution, but no less important.

Do you also want to make your office space more sustainable? A sustainable office starts with the foundation of the building. Although, just like with these 5 tips, you can ensure a green working environment even with small adjustments.