Article on Dezeen this week about sustainable materials not being used:
Architects can limit the environmental impact building has on our changing climate using their power as specifiers, they just need to take responsibility and do it, says Christine Murray.
Architects are quick to bemoan their loss of status, sensing the growing lack of respect for the profession. The unveiling of £250m trinkets, such as Thomas Heatherwick's stairs-to-nowhere The Vessel, do little to subvert the public perception of architects as court jesters to the rich, complicit in the crises of our time.
Most architects are blase when it comes to climate change. I've often been told, "designing a building to last one-hundred years is the most sustainable thing you can do". Not only is this untrue, it's dangerous nonsense.
At current rates of warming, most places will become uninhabitable due to floods, wildfires, drought and heatwaves – triggering mass migration. War and famine will follow as we move inland and scrabble over resources. This is not happening in the distant future. Read the news: from cyclone Idai to the Central American caravans, Southern Californian fires to the war in Syria, the process has already begun.
It will unpredictably, radically, grow worse. One quarter of Boston will be underwater at some point in the next 25 years. By 2100, southern Europe will be in permanent drought and the areas burned by wildfires in the US "could quadruple", David Wallace-Wells writes in The Uninhabitable Earth. By then, 1.5 million homes in the UK will face coastal flooding and 100,000 homes will fall into the sea. We've been given 12 years by the UN to dramatically lower carbon emissions to reduce the chances of the earth's sixth extinction. Instead, CO2 is rising.
What is the point of firmness, commodity and delight in the face of crop failure, nothing to drink, or breathe? Forty per cent of insect species are in decline; if we lose them all, we have no pollination – nothing to eat – and the entire ecosystem collapses due to starvation. What matters is now, not whether your stone facade is still standing at the fall of mankind.
The frustrating thing is that architects do have power, even if they fail to wield it, in the unsexy realm of specification
I've written about my frustration with the lack of discourse on climate change at major events such as the MIPIM property fair. Investors are slowly waking up, according to a recent report by the Urban Land Institute, but architects are still daydreaming, despite the recent rousing of industry titles such as The Architects' Journal.
Few starchitects have responded to the crisis. Foster's contribution, which includes the Bloomberg HQ in London and Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, are full of contradiction, belying a love of technological gadgets encased in new-build tonnages of glass, steel and stone. Projects such as BIG's New York U flood defences are temporary mitigations, not solutions.
The frustrating thing is that architects do have power, even if they fail to wield it, in the unsexy realm of specification. And this matters more than you might think.
Over the lifetime of a building, 55 per cent of carbon emissions are from products and materials – not including shipping, which adds another 10 per cent, according to the UK Green Building Council.
Given construction itself is responsible for half of all global carbon emissions – yes, half – that's a whopping contribution to climate change. Cement alone emits eight per cent of global carbon, while steel contributes nine per cent.
Architects are lazy and unprofessional when it comes to material selection
There's a reason why product manufacturers spend millions every year on fancy showrooms, sponsoring architectural awards, free CPD lunches and stands at trade exhibitions: architects hold massive sway over the use of products. Even where the client has the final say, architects present the shortlist of three-to-five types of stone, or toilet…
Yet architects are lazy and unprofessional when it comes to material selection. A major survey by the AIA reveals seven out of 10 architects specify products based solely on their personal relationship with the supplier, and rarely do any research at all. "It's an extremely relationship-driven market," said Nik Werk, manager of the research. In short, it's who you know, not what.
In addition, the study found that 57 per cent of architects copy-and-paste their spec from a previous project, with 16 per cent reusing it wholesale. The result is an industry stuck on repeat and plagued by corruption and nepotism.
Interestingly, the AIA study points out that multidisciplinary firms with significantly more women are more likely to take environmental factors into consideration when specifying, suggesting that if you are forward-thinking in one respect, you are in other ways, too.
The impact of specifying green is huge: 20 per cent of a building's carbon emissions can be prevented by changing to less wasteful, more recycled materials
The impact of specifying green is huge: 20 per cent of a building's carbon emissions can be prevented by changing to less wasteful, more recycled materials, according to UK waste charity, WRAP. A further 15 per cent can be saved by designing lean in terms of structure, and efficiently for less wastage of materials, such as reducing off-cuts.
Further carbon reduction can be found in reducing transport and the use of construction vehicles and generators – responsible for 14.5 per cent of the most dangerous fine particles in the air around us – by using methods such as prefabrication and offsite construction.
Children are already dying from polluted air. There's been a 25 per cent rise in asthma deaths over the past decade, including the death of a nine-year old girl in Lewisham, London, linked to the air quality outside her home.
Meanwhile, green products suffer because architects don't demand or specify them. A small percentage of concrete sales are from lower-carbon brands. The miraculous Novacem, a concrete that absorbs CO2 as it dries, sold its intellectual property to a rival and folded in 2012. It's never returned to market.
Take responsibility, own that you are part of the problem, and do something about it.
Just 10 per cent of projects use permeable paving, even though the alternative contributes to both flooding and drought. Paving over dirt increases run-off to sewers, which stops rainwater from replenishing the water table. This means even rainy England can be flooded one month and ban watering lawns the next.
It's time for architects to choose ethics over aesthetics. Take responsibility, own that you are part of the problem, and do something about it.
Developers are not interested in every last detail of your specification, as long as it contributes efficiently to the bottom line. As any product company will tell you, architects hold sway. Do your research, ask tough questions about ‘green' products on offer, and seek out alternatives. It worked for vegans, with major supermarkets and restaurants now investing in choice.
Our civilisation faces its end date. Cities are expanding refugee camps for a species in crisis. Every particle matters. What can you do differently today?
Christine Murray is editor-in-chief and founding director of The Developer, a publication about making cities worth living in. Climate risk is one of the themes of its first major event, The Festival of Place, on 9 July, at Tobacco Dock, East London. Murray was formerly editor-in-chief of the Architects' Journal and The Architectural Review.
Article by Pauline Zbero:
Soundproof pods, saddle-shaped chairs, adjustable-height desks and wobble boards were in abundance at Stockholm Furniture Fair last week, as privacy and wellbeing become essential aspects of office furniture design.
With increasing noise levels becoming a major issue in open-plan and shared offices, glass-sided pods of all shapes and sizes were a key trend at the fair.
These ranged from one-person pods for phone calls and quiet individual working to modular meeting rooms that can be erected inside existing offices without the need for building work.
Pods increasingly installed in open-plan offices
"The trend for pod rooms is accelerating all the time," said Johanna Kettunen, COO of pod manufacturer Into the Nordic Silence.
"The reason is that so many companies have open-plan offices and there are not enough support spaces in those offices, so people are not able to concentrate on their work tasks. They need places to collaborate."
Into the Nordic Silence showed a number of products at this year's fair, including a pod for taking telephone calls, called Pod Phone, and acoustically friendly modular furniture.
The modular furniture pieces include a curved meeting-area called Point Cup, with high, padded walls upholstered in soft fabric that block surrounding sound, and Cube Solo, a single seat that envelops the worker.
Pod Phone is a pod designed for taking phone calls, by Into the Nordic Silence
"Space needs to be adaptable nowadays because there is a need for frequent layout changes," Kettunen added. "That is the reason the modular pod rooms are needed. You can transform an open-plan office into a healthy and functional activity-based office."
Noise-reducing products such as acoustic wall-panels, fabric desk-dividers and hooded chairs have been popular in Scandinavia for several years, since the move to open offices combined with the popularity of wooden floors and plain walls in the region combined to drive workers to distraction.
The fair, the largest in Scandinavia, was once again full of brands offering acoustic solutions, including Baux, which launched a biodegradable panel that can be applied to office walls and surfaces.
Pods offer privacy and noise-reduction
But now the rise of co-working spaces is driving the need for even better solutions that offer privacy as well as silence.
Designer Henrik Kjellberg of o4i Design Studio presented PodBooth at the fair, a pod manufactured by Nordic brand Martela, which you can easily roll between locations.
"Open-plan offices have a lot of noise, so this is a natural development," Kjellberg told Dezeen.
"People need some space where they can go and talk privately but also you need the person that is very loud to work in a pod to make it a pleasant environment for the other people. It's a two-way thing."
o4i Design Studio and Martela presented PodBooth, a pod that you can roll between locations
He added that demand is not just coming from offices but all types of workplace where noise is an issue.
"The good thing with a pod is that if you have a car workshop where there is a lot of noise you could place it there," Kjellberg said. "The need for privacy boxes is huge in many places, not only the office."
Saddle stools prevent negative effects of sitting all day
Another item in abundance at the fair was backless, saddle-shaped office stools. A response to growing concern over the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle, these products are deliberately unstable to ensure the worker engages their core muscles as they sit.
"It’s very important for the body to sit actively; to have movement," said Titti Liljegren of Lanab Officeline, which debuted a number of "active" or "saddle" chairs. These allow you to workout while you work," Liljegren said.
The Polo L stool was among a number of saddle chairs that Lanab Officeline showed in Stockholm
"There have been lots of articles saying that we are not supposed to sit down," she added.
"We are supposed to stand up, like with the standing desks. And now there are also articles that say that we are not supposed to stand up all day. So the active chairs, or saddle chairs, are a good meeting point between standing and sitting."
Balance boards can improve posture
Other products in plentiful supply at the fair included adjustable desks, which allow workers to alternate between sitting and standing, and balance boards.
Balance boards consist of a platform that rocks from side to side, or around an axis, meaning the worker standing on it has to engage their muscles to remain stable.
Norwegian brand Backapp unveiled a product that combines a saddle chair with a balance board to give employees the best of both. The product claims to improve posture and reduce pain for people with back problems.
The Backapp ergonomic chair offers a solution for people with back pain
“You can actually sit on this balance board," said Backapp CEO Freddy Johnsen.
Par Gustavsson of office supplies retailer AJ Produkter said the trend towards healthier furniture was being driven by workers.
"People are caring about their own health and activities," he said. "We sell a lot of adjustable tables and chairs that are ergonomic. We also have balance boards, which are trendy. It's not something you can use eight hours a day but you can use it for two hours and then stand."
Variation is the key to office wellbeing
Gustavsson added that companies were increasingly introducing "active days" where people get out of their regular task chairs and use saddle chairs, wobble boards and standing desks.
"There's a lot of talk about having an active day at the office," he said. "The best is to have some variation during the day where you stand up or use active seating products, but use an office chair if you want a rest."
"Wellbeing is becoming increasingly relevant in all aspects of the workplace whatever kind of job you do," said Stacey Turner, digital content manager at Norwegian workplace furniture Flokk.
The HÅG Capisco is inspired by a horseback rider's posture that offers endless ways to sit or half stand
Office workers and designers are increasingly "seeking alternative, unconventional features," she said, adding that height-adjustable desks and the sit-stand trends were both "rising in popularity".
Flokk pre-empted the active seating trend with its 1986 HÅG Capisco seat by Norwegian designer Peter Opsvik, who also designed the Tripp Trapp highchair for Stokke.
Featuring a saddle-shaped seat and a minimal back, the HÅG Capisco encourages movement throughout the day. "It's easily our bestselling chair and its popularity is still rising," she said.
MARCH 18, 20191 COMMENT
I have been checking out some articles on Dezeen today and came across a very interesting one about agriculture!
Check it out!
“Architects have an urgent mission, says Chris Precht, to bring food production back into the centre of our cities.
Our cities need to become part of our agricultural system. In recent decades it has become increasingly clear that the way we live and eat is a big threat to our health and the health of our ecosystem. Climate change is forcing us to rethink our way of life and to reconnect agriculture back into our urban fabric.
We need architects to reconnect the city with nature, creating buildings that appeal to all of our senses. Bringing the production of food back to our daily lives will not only democratise the food system, but also allow our cities to achieve food security.
There is a close relation between the beginning of agriculture and the birth of architecture. Our cities were shaped by food.
This is because, as the agricultural revolution ended our presence as hunters and gatherers, grain was a stable food source that allowed us to permanently settle. Farming and living were interconnected – they needed to be in close proximity due to a lack of efficient transportation and refrigeration. So all ancient settlements were dense areas with food distribution compounds at their centre and farmland in their surrounding.
Our cities were shaped by food
A close connection between food and our urban lives is still traceable on the maps of our cities and their street names. Near the River Thames in London you can find Cornhill and Fish Street, because grain and fish came on and from the river, while northern parts of London are named after meat and its production, because animals walked into the city before being slaughtered.
The invention of the railway, pasteurisation and refrigeration changed the delivery system of our food. The production and the consumption no longer depended on close proximity. All of a sudden it was possible to overcome long distances in a short amount of time and the food could be kept fresh for a longer. That made it possible to grow food far away from sight and mind. We became distant to it. We no longer witnessed the slaughtering of pigs or the dirt of the harvest, and merely became consumers of the end product.
With this disconnection to the origin of our food, we lost an understanding of its importance.”
If you are interested and would like to read the rest i have attached the link below!
Last week here at Cupaz we had a presentation by Creatif to discuss their panelling and give us the low down on how it all works.
Optimal workplace acoustics! So basically in layman’s terms you don’t want your office to be too loud, you may have a sales team who work on the phones all day creating noise and you may also have a HR team or legal team who do more paperwork and need a more subdued environment in order to thrive. In the current world of design, unlike ten or so years ago, these people might all be in the same space, as open plan offices are on the rise, so I can assume are some distracted team members.
In the world of open plan you may say to yourself - short of putting acoustic barriers around my top sales person or giving out complimentary headphones to new staff members, there isn’t a whole lot I can do about this. That, my dear reader, is where you would be sorely wrong.
Creatif have a variety of fun and amazing ways to create subtle or more striking acoustic solutions. They can make flexible partitions to pop on top of desks or underneath to gently drown out the sound of the louder team members. Here at Cupaz we have panels in our logo blue attached to the electric desks of our sales team, they fit beautifully with our office and are practical and simple too. Another solution Creatif have are panels, these can be on meeting room walls or as part of your industrial ceiling. They can be block colours, simple design or something more custom. They also created a beautiful range of shelving which have absorbent bottoms.
One of my personal favourite things that Creatif do is their work with moss! Natures biggest and best sound absorber is moss, with little upkeep necessary and the added fun of feeling and looking cool, moss can sneak its way into your office.
If you feel like a coloured panel or two, or a sneaky shelf of moss is too much for your office you may want to venture into the futurist world of sound masks. The humm is a revolutionary tool which every office in the world is going to want their hands on, once they get their head around it. Think of a gentle noise of a hoover to help settle a baby to sleep, the humm emits a low level noise which some how keeps all the other noise - down. It is implanted in the ceiling, is both subtle and affordable.
Creatif have been up and running for a number of years and have hundreds of positive testimonials to attest to their amazing work. But don’t take my word for it, hop over to their website at www.creatif.com and if you have time pop down to their showroom to see their new and stunning products.
Did you guess the difference between noise and sound?
Sound is wanted, and noise is not.
By Lucy Cooper
Have you ever walked into a Starbucks or a Costa and felt like the shop itself was giving you a gentle hug? The smells and the colours, the muzak in the background.
Have you ever wondered why?
Why do you feel like you could spend an afternoon, Macbook under your arm, lukewarm frappa-mocha-chino in one hand and a pile of reading material by your side in there?
It is fairly complex but also fairly simple answer, the answer is everything.
Everything can of course be broken down into sections;
The muzak, this, if you weren't aware, is a specific genre of music specifically made for the retail industry, for coffee shops and elevators, places where you are both listening and not listening. It is a gentle collection of songs and just music that gives you a feeling of relaxation without drawing any attention to itself.
The smells, this is of course as simple as can be, they sell coffee. Coffee smells good.
The decor, this can be a little more interesting. I recently visited a Starbucks in Bangkok which stretched across three floors with a swooping spiral staircase somewhat akin to something from a 5* star hotel. The walls were a pleasing cream (coffee froth coloured I may note) and across all the walls was a continuing print, it showcased a vector artwork of an ocean, intertwined with the waves were patterns of flowers. It was an amazing and calming image.
The furniture, I can discuss the furniture of shops, restaurants and fast food cafes all day, the fascinating discussion of a stool over a chair can spur hours of conversation. Basically coffee shops are comfortable. Not too comfortable that you feel as though you can sit all day without moving, they want you to move so you buy more things, they want you to become gently bored and smell the coffee and keep buying more. They want you to be comfortable so you feel you want to come back.
The furniture is not just comfortable to sit on, it is comfortable to look at, the tables in almost all coffee shops are rounded, the chairs designed like armchairs are rounded edges. The stools at higher tables are sharp and slot neatly under the desks. The flooring is usually unnoticeable, either tiled or a monochrome.
The idea is that the space is nonthreatening, simple and calming, you should feel peaceful, proactive and at home - but not so at home you take your shoes off and pull out a blanket!
To surmise, coffee shops, the big chains that is, have spent a considerable amount of time and money creating a space that is the perfect balance of everything one may need, whether its a warm place to write your book, a cool place to escape the sun, a dry place to hide from the rain, a comfortable place to just hang out with friends or a place to be alone. They have tweaked simple elements of furniture and general ergonomics to create this safe space.
There are some things in life that seemed to be debated for years with no clear answer, remain or to leave? Should the voting age be 16? Is an open or closed office environment better?
This article examines the difference between open plan office and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each. Open plan offices have become more common place nowadays. Some organisations like WeWork take this one step further an offer open plan and shared office space to multiple companies, organisations and freelances all working in the same space.
Open plan office space allows for a collaborative environment where people can share ideas with each other easily. If people had to walk between multiple rooms it would make regular collaboration more difficult, colleagues may not ask for second advice on things that they would have otherwise, as the adage goes; ‘two heads are better than one’.
When it comes to sharing ideas, immediate feedback is often needed as the project cannot move forward without all parties agreeing. It would take a lot more time to write the details accurately into an email then wait for a response.
Open plan offices can remove an ‘us and them mentality.’ You can clearly see that all departments are working towards the common goal. Sometimes isolation can be divisive, create divisions and a culture of blaming others.
Open plan offices are a more effective use of space. The space required for an open plan office is much smaller than for a closed office. Although it might not be advisable to make an office to crowded it is a reality that some businesses do not have the space to spare.
There are some disadvantages to the open plan office space. A study by Oxford Economics found that 59% of workers find open plan office environments to be a distraction. Couple this with the fact that it can take the distracted person up to 30 mins to fully re-engage with a task.
In some businesses open plan offices can be inappropriate. A possible solution to this is to create a quiet area sectioned off from the main office for people to work when they have an important task that requires extra attention. If the overall noise level is too much then placing some acoustic panels strategically around the office can reduce some of the background noise and help with concentration.
As mentioned previously communication is much easier in a shared office and you can talk to colleagues easily as they are sitting a short walk away. You can also see if they are at their desks, busy with another task, or just head down working hard with another project and won’t want to be disturbed.
Some businesses a closed office is a must, if you are discussing personal matters with a customer, they would not be impressed sitting in a public space! In stressful jobs that require high levels of concentration for long periods of time an open environment may not be conducive to a productive environment.
A closed office space may not be easy to supervise. Some employers and middle managers would like to keep an on new employees to offer them advice or to make sure that they are on task. Although some studies have suggested that productivity increases in a closed environment.
In conclusion I think that what is best will depend very much on the industry as which is better for that company. An open plan office should cater for people that would like to work in silence by offering a quiet space when needed, and should use acoustic panels, boards, and effective space planning to reduce nuisance noise. If an closed office is decided to be better for that company than a collaborative area should be created where ideas can be exchanged, projects can be shared and plans can be pieced together.
What do you think?
Chris Hunneyball - Business Development
Here at Cupaz we are passionate about sustainability, and the environment. We work with a variety of suppliers who are dedicated to their environmental promises, we are suppliers of Humanscale who have recently bought out their new chair which is made of recycled fishing nets. Cupaz make a promise to remove all waste as ethically as possible and even in our offices recycling is a priority.
Following the BBC's Planet Earth 2 - hundreds of people across the nation were left shocked and upset at the state of our oceans, spurting a world wide campaign of 'pulling our damn socks up', the rise in the popularity of 'plastic free' products have swept the country. It has even spanned across to parliament where Thersea May has promised a ban on all single-use plastic items by 2020. In the last few months Wetherspoons and other bars and pubs have stopped having straws on their counters - or some places, even selling them to encourage people to consider where these products end up.
Insentives have also been put in places at various retailers to encourage people to rid themselves of wasteful plastic. In Pret you can get 50p off of a coffee in their shops if you bring your own takeaway cup. The sales of reusable plastic cups, cultery and bottles have sky rocketed in the past few months.
Both the BBC and Sky have launched their own campaigns again plastic waste, with Sky's Ocean Rescue, and BBC's three step program to erradicate all unnecessary plastic waste by 2020. They have cut out their sale of takeaway coffee cups across their locations, and Sky are working on only teaming up with partners who also have similar values regarding their waste policies.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down in the environment, and it poses a threat to animals that may mistake it for food or become entangled in it.
Here at Cupaz we have a stringent environmental policy, which you can view on our site. We recycle at all our offices and we are transitioning all our staff over to reusable bottles, we encourage the use of bamboo coffee cups.
What is your company doing to change?
Lucy Cooper - Marketing Manager
In the 1950’s, The Lancet published the results of a study between bus drivers and bus conductors, the results of which showed that the bus drivers had twice the risk of developing heart disease, compared to the conductor colleagues. Why? Simply because they spent so much longer sitting down. The lesson learnt? Standing is good for you and we don’t do enough of it.
Claire Sanderson, Principal Physiotherapist at The Gingerbread Clinic in St Ives, Cambs, has more warnings for people who work in primarily sedentary jobs by adding that “Sitting for long periods of time can cause joints to stiffen up, particularly if we unknowingly fall into poor postural alignment. This can lead to general stiffness and pain in joints.”
There are plenty more statistics, such as:
· In a typical working week, people spend on average 5 hours and 41 minutes per day sitting at their desk. (British Psychological Society)
· Research by Sanlam Private Investments showed that, on average, office workers spend 55% of their working day sat down with almost 60% saying they don’t even take a proper lunch break and instead eat at their desk. (Huffington Post)
The Solution
It doesn’t matter whether you work from home, an office or a coworking space; there are a number of solutions to ensure you stay healthy without impacting on your productivity levels. These are the main three:
1. Sit/Stand Desks
With the press of a button, your desk could move from a seated position to a standing one. This not only alleviates the day-to-day stress on your body, but actually creates further physical benefits. Sam Wilson from Cupaz, a Hertfordshire based office interior fit out and furniture business, says that “People in the 21st century spend a considerable amount of the day at the seated position, either at work, in the car on the way to work and finally sat down watching TV in the evening.” He adds that “Standing for three hours whilst working is no large effort and can increase projection whilst talking, alongside burning calories.” They’re not hugely expensive either, with the cost of a desk ranging from £250 to £900. One test has even shown that users of sit/stand desks were 10% more productive that those who sat all day.
2. Laptop Stands
If you work primarily from a laptop, you’ll already know that they’re not well suited for long computing sessions. First, the scree heights tend to be too low for users. If this is you, you’ll probably tend to hunch over, causing strain on your neck and shoulders. Laptop stands can range from as little as £15 and will raise your screen to your eye level.
There are technical benefits here too, as many laptop stands help to keep your laptop cool. By raising your computer above the desk, it improves airflow which reduces the CPU temperature. This can also help to prolong its battery life since the fan doesn’t have to work as hard.
3. Exercise at work
This doesn’t have to be a complete change of lifestyle, far from it. As Claire Sanderson confirms “Joints love movement. So, every 30-40 minutes, simply get up and move around to increase blood flow to muscles and joints. This is a good way to keep fluidity of movement.” It’s as simple as that. Claire does have a more detailed, personal exercise program for office workers which can be downloaded HERE.
Ed Goodman - Cambridge Business Lounge
With the world waking up to the realities of one use plastics, people are slowly realising how long things can take to decompose. Planet Earth 2 has spurred a world wide call to action to address the UK's attitude to waste. Has your company moved with the tides and started your eco journey or are you waiting in the wings?
Here are ten super simple ways to improve your eco impact:
1. Supply cupboard,
It might seem like a funny place to start but UK employees throw out hundreds of pens per day, thousands of pieces of paper and post it notes. A simple way to solve this is to go paper free, here at Cupaz we only use paper documents for our floor plans and drafts, this ellimates paper waste and also needs for pens. If this isn't a possibility for your company, invest in some recycled paper and consider buying reusable pens, they are cheaper in the long run and they can have your logo on them!
2. Manage waste effectively, if you company doesnt already have a recycling bin, there is no better time to start than now! Here at Cupaz we recycle paper, plastic and cardboard, create an insentive for recycling. Paper football has been a fun lunchtime sport at Cupaz, maybe ask employees to take their food scraps home to their compost heaps, or if, like us, you aren't based in London, maybe introduce a company compost heap for food waste!
3. Cut back on excessive consumption,
You may think that getting a coffee machine will save you all money, but unless you recycle the pods they can too end up on a landfil site. Encourage employees who pop out for their coffees to purchase a Keep Cup. Or even better, provide them for your staff! At Cupaz we always encourage our drivers on the road to use a Keep Cup - and they save you money in most coffee shops! Make sure you have a set of plates and cultery in your offices, it may seem like a small thing but stopping people from using single use cultery and crockey is so important.
4. Public transport and sharing lifts,
Most people who work in London will already be well adjusted to public transport, by simply swapping from a car to a train or bus you are reducing your immisions! Many times driving is a necessity, here at Cupaz we encourage sharing lifts, many people live locally and cycle when possible and share lifts.
5. Power down,
Do you use a microwave at work? Did you know that these little guys consume most of their electricity when they're simply sitting in the kitchen doing nothing? A study found that the typical microwave is only used about 70 hours a year. During the other 99% of the time, or 8,690 hours, it burns as much as 35 kilowatt hours in "vampire power" to illuminate the clock and keep electronic push button controls in standby mode. Whenever it is not in use, make sure to turn your microwave off at the switch (and leave a note to fellow colleagues to do the same!) In the same fashion, switch off computers, lights, printers etc. at the end of the working day to conserve power. Your boss will love the reduction in electricity costs!
6. BYO - Packed Lunch,
Not only will this save you a considerable amount of money, but packing your lunch will also help to get you eating healthier. Here at Cupaz, our offices are not within walking distance of shops, so to save carbon immisions, all the staff at our offices bring our own packed lunches in reusable containers. We have cutlery and plates here so there is no need for plastic waste.
7. Natural light,
Artificial lighting represents 40 percent of electricity consumption in a typical office building, and so often this is unnecessary. Open the blinds and let daylight in wherever possible. And of course, don't leave the lights on at night when everybody is gone. Here at Cupaz we actually have subtle sky lights intergrated into our ceiling, this means that during the long summer months we have no need for the lights in our offices. Saving money and the environment at the same time.
8. Toilet talk,
A simple change such as changing to a cloth in your bathrooms over paper towels could make a massive difference to your companies enviromental impact. Studiesshow that the new Dyson cold hand dryer is the most environmentally friendly way to dry hands. Here at Cupazwe have always tried to work as eco friendly as possible, we have had the Dyson hand dryers for years and they have our seal of approval. Another simple change is to swap to a tap which automatically turns off, with a sensor for hand washing they can save gallons of water!
9. Create a team or taskforce,
Give some willing company members the responsibility of looking after the sustainability of the company, a sustainability team can help to create more awareness and accomplish other missions in the quest to developing a green office. Monthly team competitions can be an enjoyable way of combining teamwork with creating an environmentally friendly office. For instance, you can challenge the workforce to go one month without driving to work, with the person who lasts the longest receiving a day off or a similar work based incentive.
10. Go Green — Literally,
Make your office literally green with plants! They absorb airborne pollutants, and emit healthy negative ions and oxygen into the air. Having some green plants in the office also reduces that "sterile" look, making it more comfortable for everybody. And improves overal happiness in staff.
Lucy Cooper - Marketing Manager
