Incorporating Sustainability in Your Office Refurbishment

Businesses are becoming increasingly conscious of their responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint to protect the planet and create a better environment around us for the future.

As individuals, we are making subtle changes by recycling more and reducing the amount of non-recyclable materials we use around the home and now this is translating into the modern workplace with sustainable office design being championed and becoming a huge trend in 2023.

The best thing about a more sustainable approach is that you can make changes that are either subtle or full scale and in many cases, using sustainable materials in your office refurbishment could even save you money and fit into your budget comfortably.

We’re sharing how you can incorporate more sustainability into your office refurbishment plans…

Upcycling or purchasing used furniture

One of the best ways to add more sustainability in your planning for your office refurbishment is by upcycling or purchasing used furniture that has been refurbished to like new.

There are so many opportunities to upcycle any old furniture that you already have in your office already and can save you a large investment into new products by simply making tweaks and bringing back to life your old office furniture.

In the United Kingdom alone, there is an estimated 1.2 million office desks and 1.8 million office chairs that are sent to landfill every single year, which as a consequence is causing damage to the environment – so if your old furniture is unusable or beyond repair you must dispose of it responsibility by recycling every single part of it that possibly can be, there are many organisations that can help you do this if you’re not sure.

Lighting

Whilst you should maximise natural light as much as possible when designing your new office layout, in the UK we don’t experience as much light in the winter during full office hours as in some other countries so artificial lighting is often used throughout the day in the modern workplace.

As a result, the use of more sustainable lighting options could be a great opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint without compromising the quality of your lighting.

LED lighting is in constant development and is becoming an increasingly sustainable option for modern offices that want to be more environmentally conscious, especially considering that bulbs can last over 100 times longer than their counterparts.

If you want to go full-scale sustainable with your office refurbishment and have a lot of natural light surrounding your office and solar panels can help you to develop a much more sustainable working environment that goes beyond lighting and provides you with energy that can run your entire operation from lighting to technology, so if your budget suits it could be a great option to consider as it will not only considerably reduce your business’ carbon footprint but could also reduce your energy costs in the long term.

Choosing local business

The United Kingdom is home to some of the most incredible manufacturers and office designers in the world for furniture, technology and materials ensuring your business is spoilt for choice when it comes to refurbishing your office.

This makes it even easier for your business to find exactly what you want and need locally to you, which in turn is a much more sustainable approach to putting together your suppliers ensuring that you are not getting deliveries overseas whilst also supporting the country’s economy at a difficult time for the UK fiscally.

Choosing a local business is a fantastic way to put your investment back into businesses around you and will benefit your business in many ways by not only opting for a more sustainable way to get your goods delivered but builds relationships with businesses around you and will significantly reduce the delivery costs and timeframe that you will experience if you purchase from another country.