WALES AT HOME GUEST COLUMNISTS | OLIVER HEATH GIVES GREEN ADVICE
Eco-friendly interiors guru, Oliver Heath
Ovetto Rcecyling Bin, £129
Recycled paper pin board, £15
Add plants to create a greener spcae
WORK GREENER
With more eco-friendly ideas for the home than you can shake a stick at, interiors guru Oliver Heath also has some great suggestions when it comes to creating smart but environmentally sound office spaces. Whether your work pad is based in the spare room or in a bonafide office block there are plenty of changes you can implement to make sure you´re doing your bit for the environment and with ´Green Office Week´ now running from 2nd to 6th March, ideas are in abundance. Oliver Heath, eco expert, designer and co-founder of EcoCentric says, “If, like me, you like to bring an environmental thinking into everything that you do, but without compromising on your sense of style, why not take those ideals to work with you every day. Let your colleagues and clients know that you are doing your bit even if you are just doodling on the back of your recycled notebook with an eco pen.”
Follow Oliver’s easy steps to an eco and stylish office:
1. Encourage recycling with a style based solution such as the Ovetto recycling bin. This will give employees a more outward perspective, both socially and environmentally. Ovetto is not just a bin, but a statement of your green commitments, and a design piece in its own right, designed by renowned Italian architect Gianluca Soldi, These bins are made from recycled plastic and come in 3 colour ways, a visual reminder to recycle. Ovetto recycling bin - £129
2. Instead of buying so many new envelopes, re-use them with Envelope Angel labels. Each label has the eco message “Every envelope should have another journey” and is your opportunity to tell the people you are writing to that you put environmental consideration into everything that you do. Envelope Angel - £4.50
3. Replace old-style incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents to save energy, plus money off your bills. LED desk lamps, such as the leaf lamp are stylish, plus they use miniscule amounts of energy. Natural daylight is not only free, but has also been proven to improve productivity and satisfaction.
Leaf - £349 Energy saving bulbs - from £2.50
4. Your boss can pay up to 40% of the cost of a new bike for you under a government initiative set up to encourage cycling to work. Find out more at www.EvansCycles.com/Ride2Work . You’ll save money, be healthier, and by avoiding the usual battle on the tube you’ll arrive in a more positive frame of mind and feel more alert. The only thing to worry about is where to keep all the bikes in the office (try the wall mounted Cycloc - a great space saver). Cycloc - £59.00
5. A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to produce over 1500 copies. Likewise, a computer monitor left on consumes about two-thirds of a computer´s total energy use. The Efergy energy meter shows you your energy usage, the costs of running different appliances, and the savings you make by simply turning things off when not in use. Place it by the door, reminding colleagues to turn things off before they go home. Efergy - £39.95
6. You can literally make the space greener by adding plants. Houseplants help clean the air indoors through their photosynthesis process of absorbing C02 and releasing 02. This range of window plants grow in the pockets they come in, and add colour and scent to the space. Workspace air quality is crucial. Good ventilation and low-VOC paints & materials (such as furniture and carpet) will keep you healthy. Window plants – £4.99
7. Work from home more often. Reduce your carbon footprint by not travelling to the office one day a week, and use a laptop bag, made from recycled plastic bottles, to carry your computer and papers back to work the next day. Laptop bag - £29.99
8. If you are in need of more office furniture then look no further than the Furniture Reuse Network. Around 80,000 of re-usable furniture is thrown own by London households each year. Pieces are reconditioned for sale at 14 locations around the capital, refurbished by young trainees working towards a vocational qualification. Find your local depot at http://www.lcrn.org.uk/.
9. Reduce, re-use, recycle…so the mantra goes. Reduce – make sure you have the the printer set to print both sides as standard. Reuse - If a mail-out goes wrong use the misprinted paper to make a notebook for your musings. A pin-board made from scrap-paper makes for an interesting focal point in the office. Recycled office paper, notebooks and pens are now widely available from usual office retailers. . Recycled paper pin board – £15.00
10. When gathered around the water cooler, refuse the wasteful plastic cups and invest in some recycled glasses. Not only do they save waste from landfill, but they will also add style, and make a good impression when clients come for meetings. Investing in a microwave, fridge and a few plates in the office will also encourage them to bring lunch from home, saving up to £5 a day! Recycled glasses – from £16.00 for 6 .
Check out Oliver´s very own interiors website, EcoCentric, packed full of inspirational eco-aware interiors advice showing that designer style and ´Mother Earth´ really do go hand in hand.
