The Eco-Office: A Culture of Social Responsibility
Corporate culture extends far beyond dress code and flexible work hours. Corporate social responsibility is a key area that today’s employees evaluate when choosing employers. Environmental responsibility and sustainable offices are big components of that, and it covers much more than recycling soda cans and minimizing paper consumption.
One of the largest environmental impacts an office can have is its furniture. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 16 million tons of furniture ends up in landfills every year. But reducing that number is as easy as refurbishing your office furniture. And the refurbishing process uses 80% - 90% LESS energy than manufacturing new, contributing to the environmental benefits of refurbished office furniture.
At Rework, we don’t view it as simply “used furniture”. We view it as furniture with prior work experience. New upholstery on task and conference chairs; fresh paint or laminate on desks and work stations; these are all environmentally responsible and financially beneficial approaches for injecting new life into your existing office furniture. And you’re creating an eco-friendly office space in the process.
The EPA lists the following benefits that result from a sustainable approach to office furnishing:
- Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials
- Saves energy
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change
- Helps sustain the environment for future generations
- Saves money
- Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators
- Allows products to be used to their fullest extent
Take a fresh look at refurbishing your existing office furniture or adding refurbished office furniture to your work environment. Then let your employees know the socially responsible steps you’re taking to minimize your office’s environmental footprint. They’ll thank you for their new sustainable office space, and Mother Nature will as well.
