Sustainability and environmentally sound management are issues that affect us all in different ways. But it almost seems as if the hurdles for implementing sustainability concepts in the context of offices are often still in their infancy. In our article, we took a closer look at the topic in the context of coworking spaces. Finally, here is our guide: Sustainable Coworking for free!
Sustainability and coworking are two topics that seem to go hand in hand. But where does this link come from? If you look at today's coworking space landscape, it becomes clear that many coworking spaces have similar values and pursue similar missions. For example, there are spaces that are particularly child-friendly or place a lot of emphasis on diversity. Others specialize in supporting start-ups or those that want to promote coworking in rural areas.
But they all have one thing in common: they share (often idealistic) values and ideas for changing and improving the current working world. It's no wonder that the topic of sustainability has also become extremely important in this regard.
In this article, we look at the following topics:
- Why sustainable coworking is so important
- How coworking spaces are already paying attention to sustainability now
- How you can use our coworking guide as an idea generator for sustainable coworking
Green and creative: Sustainable coworking as a driver and role model.
Out of an intrinsic motivation, many coworking spaces have at least a rough plan on how sustainability is implemented in their coworking space. Sustainable coworking also means that no resources are wasted: There are, for example, energy-saving light bulbs in the spaces, that garbage is conscientiously separated, that water consumption is curbed when flushing, and much more.
Some of this is a given, at least in Germany, but of course it makes sense to be particularly resource-efficient in order to reduce costs. After all, revenues are not exorbitantly high even in larger coworking spaces.
Another driving factor is the desire to be better than 'normal offices' in terms of sustainability. This can also be a factor in attracting potential coworkers. There are quite a few coworking spaces that are committed to sustainability. Coworking spaces can show on a small scale that sustainable solutions can also be implemented in everyday work. The hope is that larger companies will also feel inspired by these measures and implement them.
Sustainable coworking in practice
Coworking spaces are already more resource-efficient than doing work in a home office due to the fact that many people share items such as kettles, refrigerators, microwaves and dishwashers. On top of that, there are active measures that can be taken to implement sustainable coworking.
In addition to recycling and waste separation, there are also measures such as throttling the taps to avoid wasting water.
This can also include furnishing the coworking space with second-hand furniture, or that the equipment is not sourced from Amazon or China, but from the EU if possible. This at least saves the long transport route. The next step is the energy supply, for example by choosing green electricity providers or even installing an in-house solar system. Attention can also be paid to the purchase of organic snacks and drinks.
If coworking spaces are located in the countryside, for example, and/or if they are easy to reach by public transport, some coworkers can also save a lot of CO2 because their commutes will be shorter. In the city, coworking spaces are often so conveniently located that they can be easily reached by bicycle due to the smaller space requirements.
Particularly economical is the completely paper-free operation of the coworking space, if, for example, tally sheets for the drinks bill are dispensed with. Where this is not possible, recycled paper can be used. Aspects such as recyclability, ethical production, etc. can also be taken into account when purchasing pens, filing systems or notepads. In the best case, however, a well-rounded concept for sustainable coworking exists.
Meanwhile, a survey or study of how many coworking spaces have one does not (yet) exist.
Sustainable coworking with our guide
Why develop a tool to help coworking spaces and coworkers choose and decide on sustainable solutions?
In our opinion, there is always room for ideas and suggestions to improve one's sustainability. Since we have noticed that there are often many good intentions, but then there is a lack of implementation, we want to provide a tool with our tool that is easy to use and provides good orientation.
However, we are also aware that not everything can be implemented in every coworking space. It is also a fact that sustainability can be a question of money.
If, for example, only organic food and drinks are purchased, this will ultimately be reflected in the prices for renting space in the coworking space. Coworking spaces should therefore take care to create some kind of balance so that, for example, individual coworkers are not squeezed out due to rising prices.
Other important points from our tool:
- Selection guide for snacks and drinks to avoid greenwashing
- Questions for optimizing the use of resources
- Ideas and hints for environmentally friendly cleaning of the areas and much more