As the focus on environmental and social responsibility increases, corporate spaces are implementing more sustainable measures. This is great for employees and the planet. However, they aren’t the only parties who stand to benefit. Many employers are now seeing positive effects, both in their operations and their profit and loss statements. With that in mind, we thought we’d share five ways corporate spaces are becoming more sustainable so you can get some ideas for your own office.

1. Shared Environments

Gone are the days when every company required an entire building to itself. From Melbourne’s best serviced offices to San Francisco’s finest coworking corporate Spaces, the world’s trendiest cities are leading the charge with buildings designed to be luxurious, sustainable, and affordable.

In addition to using renewable energy sources, these buildings often provide healthy eateries, gyms, e-bikes, and other amenities designed to make it actually enjoyable to come to the office each day.

2. Going Paperless

More and more businesses are making the switch to paperless operations wherever possible. While things such as shipping labels and product packaging obviously still need to be printed, many companies are doing their best to keep everything else organized digitally.

This is fantastic news for our forests and natural habitats. It also means companies are saving funds that would have otherwise been spent on all the paper they’re no longer using. Of course, the smart thing to do is invest that saved money in cloud-based backup and disaster recovery to ensure all that data remains safe.

3. Practicing Social Procurement

Being sustainable doesn’t always mean acting in a way that obviously puts the environment first. For example, social procurement has far more obvious benefits for local communities and customers than it does for the planet. However, these kinds of practices also provide sustainability benefits as they reduce carbon footprints at almost all levels of supply and distribution.

This is particularly beneficial when we consider the flow-on effect social purchasing has. When operating at its best, it can lift communities out of poverty and drive major positive change in a region.

4. Reducing Waste

While recycling has been a standard part of many businesses for a while, there has been a significant push in recent years for offices to further reduce their waste. In addition to going paperless, many companies are encouraging employees to reconsider their routines.

For example, some corporate spaces have decided to supply premium coffee and encourage employees to bring in their own mugs and get their caffeine fix at work. This helps reduce the number of takeaway coffee cups ending up in landfill. Many are also encouraging their staff to bring lunch in a reusable container rather than a disposable one.

5. Adding Greenery

Finally, while adding plants to the office may seem more decorative than anything, it also helps the planet. Indoor plants supply a surprising amount of oxygen within an office environment and even process chemicals and other less desirable elements out of the air. While this is great for employees, it is also helpful for the planet, and at this stage, no contribution is too small.

These sustainable shifts are a great start, but there’s still plenty more to do. For example, switching to green energy and shipping products with carbon-neutral carriers can further reduce a company’s environmental impact. As we move towards a greener future, it will be exciting and revealing to see which companies put in the effort and what shifts they make.