In today’s world, we all know that sustainability is important. We want our environment to remain healthy and clean, and we want to protect the planet for future generations. But what does this really mean? Is there any way to incorporate sustainability into our daily lives? Can we actually do something to change the way we live?

There are many ways to improve the environment around us, but one of the best things we can do is to create a more sustainable, eco-friendly workplace. At Uncommon, we are striving towards creating an optimum workspace that is more sustainable. Here are some tips on how you can shift to an eco-friendly office like Uncommon Spaces.

1. Making the switch to an Eco-Office and its benefits

Climate change is one of our planet’s most significant environmental problems. According to NASA, global warming has caused temperatures to rise over the past century. As a result, extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires have become increasingly common. Climate change is also affecting human health. For example, extreme weather conditions are causing food shortages, water contamination, and disease outbreaks.

To combat these issues, we need to take action. One of the easiest ways in London to reduce our carbon footprint is to move towards an eco-friendly office space. An eco-friendly office uses less electricity, produces fewer emissions, and reduces waste.

Another reason to switch to an eco-friendly workspace like Uncommon is for cost efficiency. There are many perks included in the costings, such as WiFi. Comparing the costs on heating, cooling, lighting cleaning and so on to a traditional office space, you’ll realise that in the long-run it’s going to benefit you to make the switch.

Benefit of going green is that it increases employee productivity. Studies show that workers working in an eco-conscious office are happier and more productive. They feel healthier and enjoy their working day. Uncommon has an abundance of plants everywhere – in the communal areas and on every floor which help harness deeper concentration.

What to consider when making the switch?

Choosing an eco-space, you should look at things like lighting, ventilation, noise level, temperature control, etc. At Uncommon, we offer private office spaces that are curated according to your specific requirements. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting as we are 100% transparent about our offering, especially in-line with ESG.

2. Tips for creating a sustainable workspace

Now that you know why you should switch to an eco-friendly office, let’s talk about tips for creating a more sustainable workspace.

Incorporating green design into your office

When designing your office space, you should always consider the following three principles:

• Use natural light whenever possible
• Recycle And Reduce Waste
• Choose Eco-Friendly Products

Investing in energy-efficient lighting is a great place to start if you want to create a more sustainable workplace. This includes LED lights, fluorescent lights, and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). CFLs last longer and consume less electricity than other types of lighting.

One of the easiest ways to cut down on waste is by going paperless. Instead of printing documents, emailing them, or faxing them, you could just send them electronically.

Recycling is another simple way to help the environment. Not only does recycling help keep our landfills clean, but it also saves us money.

Creating a Paperless Office

If you ask any business owner why they use paper, they’ll tell you that it saves time and money. However, according to the World Economic Forum, the average worker spends over three hours daily handling paperwork. That means that even if you save money by using less paper, you still spend more time doing things that could be done faster and more efficiently.

So, instead of relying on paper, try implementing technology that allows you to store documents digitally. For instance, you can scan important papers into PDF files and store them online. Or, you can set up email alerts to notify you whenever new documents arrive. These simple changes can go a long way toward reducing the amount of physical paper used in your organisation.

Implementing Energy-saving Measures

Here are some of our initiatives on energy saving across our Uncommon Spaces:

• Our lighting and air conditioning are set up on timers so that they shut down from 19.00hrs – 07.00hrs Mon-Fri. They are off at weekends, unless required.
• We have installed shower reducers in order to save on water/electricity usage.
• We have installed water butts to collect rain water to utilise this water for all our gorgeous plants you see in the spaces.
• We are currently installing sensor taps to save on water usage/ electricity usage.
• Additionally, we are also looking to introduce LED lightning, Lighting sensors, Cavity Insulation and Air source heat pumps across all Uncommon sites.

3. The importance of employee engagement in a sustainable workplace

Employee engagement plays a huge role in creating a sustainable workplace. Employees feel valued and appreciated and tend to take greater ownership of the company’s goals and objectives. As a result, they become more invested in the organisation’s success and are motivated to perform better.

Additionally, when employees believe that their contributions matter, they are more willing to put forth the extra effort to achieve shared goals. Employees who feel engaged are also more likely to share ideas, collaborate, and communicate openly.

Why is employee engagement key to a sustainable workplace?

According to research, employee engagement has been shown to correlate strongly with organisational performance. Companies that invest in employee development programs report significantly higher levels of productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and retention rates.

Engaged employees are also more productive. According to research, engaged employees are 50% more likely to stay with their employer for extended periods and more likely to recommend their employer to others.

The most significant benefit of investing in employee engagement is that it reduces absenteeism and turnover. Studies show that organisations with low levels of employee engagement experience higher staff turnover rates.

Tips for Engaging Employees in Sustainability Initiatives

• Provide training and education. Make sure that everyone understands how to dispose of waste materials properly. Also, encourage employees to learn about the latest green technologies to implement them at home and work.
• Create an open dialogue. Let employees know that you value their feedback and suggestions. Encourage them to speak up when they see something that needs improvement.
• Offer incentives. You can reward employees who demonstrate leadership skills by offering them recognition awards.

Conclusion

Everything from your desk to your chair affects your office’s sustainability, from the materials used in its construction to the amount of space it takes up. At Uncommon, we are taking the steps toward a very clear goal in-line with our ESG Strategy to make our workspaces as sustainable as possible for our members, team, and partners to thrive in.

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At Uncommon, we believe that our role as a business should be to contribute, in whatever way we can to finding and supporting solutions to challenges. This is why we have set out an ESG Strategy with truly ambitious market-leading targets – across environmental and social themes – and our approach on how we will deliver these targets over the coming years.

We are excited to have started this journey and invite you to be a part of it over the coming years for positive change.