Working from home can automatically be a more eco-friendly option than an in-house job because you’re not commuting to work every day. With your own work space you have complete control over its design and decoration, so you’re in a very good position to create an environmentally friendly home office.

The first thing to consider is where in your house your office should be. The room that you choose should have a window or skylight so that you have some natural light coming in. It’s also good for letting in fresh air when you need to. Having natural light and air means you can cut down on artificial lighting, heating and air-conditioning. As well as making for a more eco-friendly home office, natural light and air is also good for the spirits, mood and health. It means that you can keep plants in your office too, which is good because plants are attractive and cheering, and they give out oxygen.

Try to make sure that your home is as insulated as possible and that you choose eco-friendly products for your office where possible, such as low-energy light bulbs and recycled stationery. You can even buy eco-friendly paints for decorating your office.

Eco-friendly home office furniture

You can make your home office greener by choosing the equipment and furniture that you buy carefully. Consider buying second-hand furniture rather than brand new. If second-hand is not the right option for you, investigate green office furniture manufacturers. These companies use environmentally friendly process and materials.

Buying the best quality, most attractive furniture you can afford is a good idea too. In the long-term you’re likely to need to replace it less regularly than if you buy poor-quality furniture that you don’t really like.

Green office practices

Creating an eco-friendly home office is not just about the goods that you buy. It’s also about how you manage the waste you create. Try to keep your home office as paperless as possible. Obviously this isn’t easy for everyone all the time, but when you do need to use a lot of paper, make sure you use any blank sides for scraps and recycle sheets that can’t be used any more.

Try to work by the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra when it comes to office supplies, such as printer cartridges, ink, cardboard and paper.