Earth911 recently shared an article on their website about their move to a green building and how they tried to make the entire move as green as possible.  If your office is looking for a new, green space or if you just want some great ideas for the future, check out these great tips.

Find a Green Building

Green buildings are a rapidly growing sector in the commercial real estate market.  A recent study by CB Richard Ellis and the University of San Diego found that tenants in green buildings experienced increased productivity and fewer sick days.  The study also mentions that public image, recruitment and retention of employees are enhanced in green buildings.

The building that Earth911 recently moved into is LEED silver-certified.  The building uses a number of eco-friendly upgrades to hit silver certification such as:

• The use of native plants and landscaping to save water as well as for dust control.
• Eco-friendly construction materials, including recycled steel used for the building frames.
• High indoor environmental quality, including low-emissions materials like carpet and paint and space designs that utilize natural light.
• Comprehensive energy performance enhancements resulting in energy use that’s more than 14 percent below the U.S. Green Building Council’s base standards.
• The purchase of 35 percent of the buildings’ energy from green power.

Plan an Eco-Friendly Space

When planning a green office move or remodel, the primary concern should be for the individuals working within the space, how they will interact with the space and materials and how the space and materials will interact with them.  Through research you can find cost-effective, eco-friendly features to help make your space as aesthetically pleasing, functional and low-impact as possible.  Manufacturers of office flooring, wall coverings and cubicles offer a vast variety of great looking eco-friendly products.

Some of the features that Earth911 incorporated include:

• Zero VOC paint, finishes and adhesives
• GreenGuard certified furniture
• Recycled content carpet and chairs
• Recycled aluminum door frames
• Use of natural lighting, windows and open spaces throughout the office
• Infrared light timers to automatically turn off lights when not in use

Clear Out Your Clutter

Just like a residential move, your office move will probably uncover a host of outdated, unused and forgotten equipment.  Rather than trash your old furniture, look into selling it to a refurbisher like New Life Office, list it on local classifieds like Craigslist, or donate it.

Lose the Boxes

Earth911 found movers that specialized in utilizing reusable items that kept their reliance on throwaway material to a minimum.  While cardboard boxes may be the norm for most moves, they used reusable totes to transport the majority of their belongings.  They wrapped electronics in reusable bubble wrap bags for protection and stored them on rolling shelves that were easily transported to the new office. 

These measures helped to make their move fast and efficient.  Additionally, they weren’t left with a ton of beat up boxes and annoying amounts of wrapping to deal with once into a new space.

Keep it Up

Once you arrive at your new, green space, cleaned out your clutter and recycled everything possible, the most important step is to keep your momentum going.

Here are a few of the environmentally conscious practices that Earth911 uses to ensure their day to day operations are as green as possible:

• They have a bin for recyclables that aren’t accepted by their building which employees graciously take home when necessary
• They compost their own food scraps and coffee grinds
• They utilize reusable dishware in the kitchen, including coffee mugs and glassware.

These are some great ideas that I hope you can implement into your current office as well as utilize when it comes time for your office to make a move.