Getting Started
Many of the issues you may face around the fit-out or refurbishment of your building will depend on the extent to which you can influence its construction (of a new building) or redevelopment (of an existing building).
A sustainable approach involves a hierarchy of issues:
- Rethink
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle.
Rethink
Do you need to refurbish?
Refurbishing will have greater adverse environmental impacts than not refurbishing. However, any changes to achieve greater energy efficiency, healthy air quality etc should be undertaken as worthwhile activities in their own right.
Other options include:
- hot desking (do staff require their own private working space?)
- flexible working arrangements
- working from home.
Reduce
Does it need to be a full refurbishment or can the scope be reduced?
As a rule of thumb, the more extensive the refurbishment the greater the adverse impacts.
Reuse
Do you need to buy new?
Buying a new product is likely to have greater environmental impacts overall than reusing existing items - even where the older items are not made of sustainable materials or not operating in an energy efficient manner (but see exception under 'Rethink' above).
If you do decide to replace existing items, check your organisation's storage facilities - sometimes suitable items are being kept but are not in current use.
Items no longer required in the new office setting should be considered carefully - is it worth storing them for future use? If not, how can you dispose of them in ways that promote their continuing usage elsewhere?
Recycle
If you cannot reuse existing items, can they be recycled?
Recycling means that an item itself cannot be reused but its components can be.
