How Businesses Are Using Green and Zero Waste Tech to Improve Indoor Air Quality

In our rapidly changing climate, greener air conditioning and clean air are key issues for any business. Especially for those that want their remote or hybrid workers back in the office on a more permanent basis.

Alongside these goals, zero waste is a popular method of driving corporate green credentials while supporting progressive initiatives. Events like Zero Waste Week help spread awareness, while the reduction in rubbish can help businesses save time and resources on the waste problem.

Going Zero Waste for Better Air

Zero Waste can improve the quality of office air by helping eliminate a lot of the invisible rubbish that comes with our waste. This can include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in plastics, and the smells from any used cleaning or chemical products, switching them to scent-free products.

Organic waste in an office is a long-standing problem, but by having a central waste point, it can be kept away from open-plan and larger offices. Even standard office waste such as printer paper and packaging can be eliminated through zero-print offices, reducing the presence of printer and toner byproducts in the air.

Aligned to this effort, clearer recycling schemes across paper, plastics, glass and other substances can help staff reduce and eliminate waste. And new central or smart bins can keep any smells locked away from the office as part of that process.

In the longer term, offices can refresh their look with a green agenda, using FSC-certified wood and recycled materials for furniture and decor, helping eliminate the presence of formaldehyde and other byproducts that end up in mass-produced furniture.

Greener Features for A Better Office Environment

Some office health and environmental issues are deeply-rooted no matter what the current rules say. There will always be people on the lookout for an opportunity for a crafty smoke or vape. Technology that can help keep indoor air clean includes vape detectors to alert security or reception to a recurring problem.

To help improve the environment, going literally green with live plants, humidifiers and better ventilation can help workers feel happier in their offices and more at home in the work environment.

Workers can also be encouraged to keep on top of poor office hotspots like leaky pipes, mould accumulating in damp corners, poor ventilation and lighting, and other issues.

Greener Power for Better, Healthier Buildings

The use of solar and wind power can improve your company and office credentials, supporting further sustainable efforts. Solar power, on the roof, over the car park or other areas, can be used as an external and alternative source to drive air conditioning units, provide battery backup power for outages and so on.

Water reclaimers can catch rainfall or recycle it for the building’s plant and wastewater purposes. And as new green construction features arrive on the market, like solar-power windows or bricks, companies can generate their own power in new ways or on protected buildings that cannot be updated in more visible methods.

And you don’t even need to touch the building, assuming you can use green power. Many owned offices can be switched to green energy providers, helping boost their market share and delivering green power to the network.

Finally, updating big-screen TVs, old fridges, computers and other devices with more modern models can reduce power consumption, eliminate sources of heat, and help as part of an office overhaul to highlight the benefits of greener power, cleaner air and other advantages to improve the atmosphere for workers and visitors. Just make sure to recycle the old ones in line with the WEEE waste directive, or similar policies.

Green Power Comes from the Top

All of these efforts are nothing without some level of education and guidance for office users and workers. Clear explanations of how they benefit workers and the environment are essential to gaining support for any green project, otherwise these ideas will be largely ignored, especially if leadership seems disinterested.

They should be covered in onboarding for new employees. And regular updates on green initiative progress, savings made and local benefits can all help keep people interested in zero waste and other sustainable projects.