We’ve talked before in the Greenroom about the benefits of creating more sustainable and environmentally friendly workplaces.

Initiatives such as:

  • Encouraging recycling
  • Implementing power and water saving plans
  • Not using disposable cutlery
  • Encouraging staff to use alternate modes of transport to get to work are all easy ways to help the environment

In many cases, they are also good for your business’ bottom line.

The future of green workplaces, however, looks to be more all-encompassing with the increasing popularity of green buildings that have been specifically designed in line with sustainablity principles.

About Green Star

Green Star is Australia’s official mark for sustainable projects, similar to the United States’ LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) label and rating system.

Green Star-certification is available to any type of building that passes the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) comprehensive rating system, which assesses the design, construction and life cycle of a project.

The rating system checks the amount of resources used, waste generated and emissions produced in order to reduce impact.

In terms of emissions, according to the GBCA, Green Star-rated buildings only produce one-third the amount of greenhouse gas emissions coming from non-rated buildings.

While the Green Star certification is primarily about environmental sustainability, they offer another very attractive benefit: buildings that are designed with sustainability in mind and are built to be future-proofed bring about significant savings, especially in the long run.

For example, Green Square North Tower in Queensland, which was certified in 2009 for its office design and construction, has a tenant with reduced energy bills in spite of having doubled their floor space.

According to the GBCA, that tenant’s energy bill went from $12,000 to $8,000 per month.

Green Star-certifications also lead to other advantages such as:

  • Tenant and employee attraction
  • Enhanced marketability
  • Healthier and safe environments
  • Increased productivity

It also speaks volumes about your business’ commitment to corporate social responsibility, an increasingly important factor in today’s marketplace.

So when you next consider business premises or ways to enhance the environmental credentials of your company don’t overlook the advantages associated with environmentally sustainable buildings: a healthier, more productive workplace that is cheaper to run and enhances your reputation for corporate social responsibility is not to be scoffed at.

Find out more about Green Star certification: http://www.gbca.org.au/green-star/

Evolution Mats

Alsco’s floorcare range just got more environmentally friendly. Not only is the Evolution Mat made from recycled materials, it has a thicker pile, is ripple-free, colour-fast and premium quality. The recycled material creates a more efficient product that uses less energy and water in the cleaning process.

Alsco’s fully managed rental service delivers pristine rubber backed mats every time, ensuring the best for your business. Try an obligation free Evolution Mat trial.

 

Image courtesy: William Cho