Sustainability
Noun
the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
“the pursuit of global environmental sustainability”
As a co-working space, the aim of the game for us is to build a working environment to inspire and keep our members and teams working at their best. If you plant your workers in an environment which gives them the best possible chance to bloom, you won’t lose their interest and, subsequently, their talent. In short, to create a consistent and profitable member experience, the approach needs to be sustainable.
Chances are, if we asked a group of 100 of our members if they felt we should treat our planet better, all of them would say yes. However, we’d also bet that if we asked those same 100 people what they do on the daily to help maintain our planet, they wouldn’t be so quick to respond.
We are doing everything we can to make ourselves and our things last longer, so why do we struggle so much with the planet itself?
At WL, we think that we needn’t view eco-friendly living and working as a restriction on our lifestyle but rather a welcome addition. Simply, a way of making it easier for our future selves to breathe. Here are a few ways to work and play a little smarter, to help look after this beautiful ball of rock we call home…
LETS BE REAL, PRINTERS ARE SO 2008
Be the screen queen you wish to see in the world and keep your docs on the square screen. We understand the power of print but try taking a step back and reassessing whether you really need that hard copy or if you can squidge up to your colleagues and screen share instead. Our members are privy to a ‘mindful’ printing package which lets them know when they’ve reached 200 printed sheets in a month and if you want to map out your thoughts, scrap paper is everywhere! But don’t forget about your other woody, office friend: the paper towel. They’ve been with you since day 1 and you may think you’ve mastered it but, chances are, you’re doing it wrong! We’ll let Joe Smith explain this one as he does, oh so eloquently, in his enlightening Ted Talk ‘How to use a paper towel’. Basically, do everything you can NOT to print out reams of perfectly good tree, everyone knows the best business plans start on the back of a napkin…
PATIENCE IS STILL A VIRTUE
We love a good next day delivery as much as the next person but it doesn’t take a scientific study to work out that a 12 hour turn around on your packet of paperclips isn’t doing wonders for the environment. Though, just to be sure, the University of California did a study on the effects of express shipping on our carbon footprint and it wasn’t pretty. They, unsurprisingly, found that extending your shipping period allows companies to use the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to get you the goods! So, if you can hold on a little longer for those Uno cards, choose a slower shipping time or at least ask your workmates if they’re ordering too and do a bulk buy. FYI, Morrisons let you know when they’re already going to be delivering in your area, so you can choose the most environmentally friendly time to have your shop delivered ?
BYO
You’re not still buying water bottles are you? Flasks and drink bottles are no longer the domain of old people and soccer moms- they’re actually pretty cool and a damn sight better for our lovely planet. Recyclable cups are all well and good, but the fact is, 70% of the world’s paper comes from diminishing forests and not from plantations or recycling. With straws turning from plastic to paper everywhere from your local coffee cart to McDonalds, the fact that most plastic used in the world today is for single use items is no longer a secret and about time too! We love the mission of our London Fields members, Frank Green, who have partnered with non-profit environmental organisation, Earthwatch. For every Smartcup or bottle purchased, a donation is made to the non-profit who support crucial environmental projects around the world. The bottles themselves are made of all recyclable material, plus you gain exclusive access to the Hydrate app which allows you to keep track of your own hydration, plus see the landfill space saved by your choice to BYO! Also, they’re very good looking, so no excuses.
LIVE, LAUGH, LEAF
If you read our blog on plants boosting productivity in the workplace, you’ll have read that studies have shown the air inside to be up to ten times more polluted than the air outside- urm, gross. Studies revealed that plants can decrease CO2 levels by up to 25% in offices, and are the most viable way of removing toxic substances and fumes from the air indoors. So, please, never underestimate the power of the pot plant ?. To make our members lives that bit greener we partnered up with Patch Plants to help kit out our private offices when you move in. Choose a leafy family with your work pals and pepper your office with green friends to feel and breathe better!
SAVE WATER, SWIM TOGETHER
Granted, it’s been a hot summer by all accounts; we’re all very sweaty, a lot of the time. However, environmental group Hubbub predicted an insane 4 billion litres of water will be wasted in the UK in one August weekend filling paddling pools and running hose pipes. Beat the heat in a kindly, earth respecting way and instead of garden paddling, go for a splash at your local lido. If you’re a member at our London Fields space then a lunchtime visit to the LF Lido should definitely be on the agenda. Timeout have made a definitive list of London’s top outdoor pools, where there is a lido for everyone. It’s amazing how rolling about London in 32-degree heat can make a lap pool in Hackney feel like a mountain top infinity pool in Bali. All for a fiver?
BE KEEN TO GET GREEN
The media is saturated with information on global warming, going green and sustainable living. So much so that these words have lost their impact. We gloss over it, we’ve heard it before, we get it, we’re killing the planet…someone else is doing something about it, right? Wrong. Appoint yourself as Chief of Green, Head of Recycling, Employee Oxygen Executive, whatever title you see fit to be a champion for easy changes to keep it clean and green✌?
