Being sustainable is not just a way for a business to demonstrate its awareness and willingness to help the planet. It is an essential reputational factor that plays a great part in the way customers and prospective investors see your brand and whether they want to associate themselves with it.

In other words, being sustainable is a must for a modern business, especially if it operates in London – one of the capitals and trendsetters of the modern business community. Not to mention the vicious competition any company faces, no matter how big or well-known it is, on the London market.

In this article, we shall talk about the most effective and fairly straightforward ways to help your London office become more sustainable and claim your brand Green without the risk of being accused of greenwashing.


Sustainability and greenwashing. Know the difference.

How does a modern sustainable London office look? Answering this question, most of us would imagine bright open-space workspaces on the London Bridge with their big windows and roof-top green spaces.

Yes, modern architecture is aimed to help people save energy and reduce their waste and carbon footprint at work, but does it mean that renting an office in a decades-old building or even your own garage you will be automatically deprived of the right to call yourself green?

Absolutely not! In fact, the companies that try to secure themselves the status of sustainable buildings by only sticking to a popular image of a cutting edge office risk being accused of greenwashing.

Greenwashing is a notorious practice of making one loud statement or a series of claims that only represent a company as eco-friendly but don`t change the very core of its operation. For example, when a fashion brand launches a collection made out of recycled materials but keeps overproducing and encourages overconsumption, it is a classic example of greenwashing.

It is, in fact, good news for London businesses that really want to become sustainable as, despite a common misconception, being truly Green comes out easier and less expensive than launching a risky greenwashing campaign.


Going Green in 3 easy steps.

Let`s go over the 3 most popular and effective ways today`s London businesses turn green and manage to benefit from it in many ways.


Used office chairs.

Buying used office chairs in London may seem like a common practice for small businesses or startups with tight budgets. However, the idea of choosing second hand office chairs over new items is very popular among all sorts of London businesses today, including massive FinTech companies from The City or media giants located at Kings Cross.

Except for its obvious financial benefits, buying used office chairs is the best way to slow down overproduction and pollution, commonly associated with the office furniture industry.

It is the best way to make a step towards zero-waste sustainable operation as one disposed office chair would do more harm to the environment than a whole pile of paper carelessly thrown into the garbage.

Buying a used office chair for your workplace, make sure to prefer items with metal frames as they are the most durable and easy to restore. It is also better to choose used office chairs with mesh, synthetic upholstery. Such furniture is not only low-maintenance and hygienic but it is also made out of materials that may cause the most trouble once they end up in a landfill. 

Recycling such office furniture your London business contributes greatly to environmental protection.


Green Challenges

Such challenges are fun activities that help raise awareness about environmental protection in your team and find unconventional solutions that also help make your business more sustainable.

Green challenges can vary from going a month without using disposable cups in the office to finding a new use for old pieces of equipment and furniture, including used office chairs.

Such challenges are a perfect team building and bonding experience for a collective as they involve brainstorming sessions meant to find the most efficient and unconventional solutions for another eco-friendly project.


Multifunctional office space

Another way London companies go green today is by aiming at multifunctional office spaces. If you can use the same office for everyday operation, team meetings, and receiving visitors, your company automatically reduces its carbon footprint and effect on the environment.

With fewer travelling from one location to another and keeping all the necessary equipment and documentation close, it is easier to be more efficient and control the process while being more sustainable on the way.

Today`s market of used office chairs and other furniture and equipment in London will help you easily create a versatile and comfortable workspace that can serve many purposes and keep your business efficient and safe for the planet.


By buying used office furniture, looking for unconventional ways to reduce waste and keeping operations compact and flexible, any London business can go green, build itself a robust reputation and save a great deal of money, resources and effort on the way. 

Are you interested in used office chairs? We've recently created a ranking of top 5 used office chairs.