Green is said to be a color associated with nature, environmental friendliness, productivity, luck, and even intelligence. As a once-resident of Oregon myself, the presence of green was truly everywhere and arguably helped us get through the months of gloom.

Personally, I associate the month of March with the color green. 

Maybe it’s because of St. Patrick’s Day landing in mid-March or the beginning of Spring making its debut on the 21st. Regardless, green is in the air, and arguably should be a hue that regularly occupies your space.

It got me thinking about this magic color, though. How does it help us? How does it motivate us? How does it boost productivity?

For many people, the amount of work before our eyes can be particularly overwhelming. When you’re in an anxiety-ridden, overwhelmed state, it can be especially difficult to calm yourself or to see clearly. By taking into account what colors surround you in this state, you can potentially ease a bit of your stress.

The color green in itself is considered a harmonizing hue, it’s also the easiest on the eyes. In many studies, it’s been shown to create a deep sense of calmness and reassurance. Green is a great color for if you tend to feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. 

A few ways you can create a more green work environment without making any major commitments involve…

Buy yourself a few plants.

Whether at home or in the office, surrounding yourself with greenery will boost productivity alongside a newfound sense of serenity. 

Don’t just take my word for it, consider this 2014 study from the University of Exeter. 

The research yielded a grand conclusion which boosts the emphasis on having plants around the office. Researcher Dr. Chris Knight found that employees’ ability to be productive jumped nearly 15% in the presence of some office greenery. 

In fact, the simple gesture of adding one plant per square meter heightened memory retention alongside productivity overall. Knight also emphasized the point that the plants were placed within view of the employees. So, if you’re in a shared space, make sure everybody gets to admire the foliage. 

Among the many benefits of surrounding your workspace with plants, they also promote your health while they clean the air! Those leaves are not only decorating your space and promoting efficiency, but they’re naturally supporting an environment with clean air.

Choose a green upholstery for your furniture.

This is a great, simple way to refresh your space, just by introducing a hint of green to your space through the upholstery you choose. 

Many manufacturers offer their task chairs in a variety of greens! Even decorative lounge chairs come in a refreshing hue that can ease your senses in the workplace. 

Add a green accent wall.

If you’re all in for green, this option is great if you’re looking to emphasize the hue on a greater scale. 

Adding a geometric or abstract moment to your walls can gently stimulate you and your peers’ minds on a broader spectrum. This is a great option if you work in a shared workspace where everyone has the opportunity to reap the calming and productivity-boosting benefits of green.

Green is undeniably a great productivity-booster in choosing your color. Whatever color resonates with you and your ability to be productive at work, surround yourself with it! You’d be surprised to find that creating a colorful work environment reaps the best benefits for you and your peers.

Find some of the best pops of colors at the end of this blog!

When we think about all the major changes that should be implemented in order to achieve the healthiest version of our planet, we think of cutting fossil fuel emissions, supplying broader access to renewable energy, and eliminating all other means of pollution. 

For many of us, however, these changes aren’t particularly attainable within the small communities we occupy, such as at home or in the workplace. 

While we push legislation to make changes to their environmental businesses regarding climate change, we might as well do our part in the places we occupy most frequently. 

One of the most impactful changes we can make at home and at work is composting!

What exactly is composting?

Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, according to NRDC. Essentially, things like food scraps, leaves, and anything else that decomposes can be composted. 

Composting is just about supplying an exemplary environment for fungi, bacteria, and their other decomposing organism friends to do their job efficiently! What do we end up with then, a pile of decaying food waste? Not necessarily; you end up having some of the richest, nutrient-filled, fertile garden soil. 

As referred to by farming experts, this “black gold” can be used for all sorts of agricultural practices.

What’s the problem?

Consider this: only 6% of food waste is composted. 

When food waste is decomposed the right way, we can observe a lovely, beneficent process known as aerobic decomposition. This is only achieved by the microorganisms that need oxygen to function, such as bacteria and fungi. 

But when the compost ends up being wasted in landfills, what happens? It gets buried under all the other trash, completely eroding the pathway for those oxygen-needing microorganisms to do their job. 

Simply put: no oxygen, no microorganisms. 

Alternatively, anaerobic decomposition takes place, yielding a biogas containing half methane, and half carbon dioxide. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is roughly thirty times more harmful than CO2, trapping heat in the atmosphere and contributing immensely to global heating. 

Yikes, right? 

The good news is that these emissions can be reduced easily at home and in your workplace. Take the opportunity to lower your carbon footprint!

What are the benefits?

By composting, you can limit the excess scraps that end up in the waste stream and give the helpful bacteria and fungi the environment they need to thrive. 

If you also compost at home, you can bring the compost from work straight to your garden. Bonus points are included for reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and enriching your soil naturally!

How do we do this in the workplace?

Most cities unfortunately do not offer composting methods for work environments. There are ways to go around this, though! 

First thing’s first: check to see local farmer’s markets, community gardens, or other waste facilities that would be willing to take your scraps if you yourself cannot take the compost home. 

Once you’ve located your compost end-destination, you can begin practicing with a special bin that can be used indoors. Even better, acquire a composting bin that will process your waste and turn it to nutrient-rich soil. 

Make sure there are signs that clearly communicate the do’s and don’ts of your compost system so that everybody can do their part correctly. 

When you get your bin, throw your coffee grounds from that fresh brew in there! You can even put the filter in as well. Finished with your apple and thinking of tossing the core? Put it in the compost! What about the orange peels from your snack earlier? Yep, those too. 

Here is a guide for what can and cannot be composted. 

If you find that indoor composting is not functional in your office environment, we hope that you take these tips home with you and lower your carbon footprint in the best ways that you can.  

At the end of the day, the goal is to divert food waste in any way possible.

Happy Women’s History Month!

As we move forward in creating solutions to combat our persistent environmental distress, sustainability leaders must come forth to pioneer our collective, never-ending, uphill battle. 

Sustainability shouldn’t just be a green-washing buzzword anymore, it should be a standard, and a diverse set of leaders are needed to hold this standard to its highest capacity. 

Who are the leaders innovating their way through our changing climate, though? Well, in light of March being globally recognized as Women’s History Month, we thought it necessary to highlight just a few of the most infamous female change-makers in sustainability.

Isatou Ceesay

Originally from Gambia, Istaou Ceesay pioneered an arguably revolutionary recycling movement, and is now recognized as the “Queen of Recycling.” You may have heard of this movement, known as One Plastic Bag. 

She embraced knowledge gained from the Peace Corps after volunteering, and led dozens of women to the craft of upcycling single-use plastic into bags, purses, and backpacks. Ceesay, in turn, pioneered the N’jau Recycling and Income Generation Group. 

West Africa experiences a low-income flow amongst women in general. In addition to lessening the impact of plastic waste throughout Gambia, it’s through Ceesay’s innovation of this movement that hundreds of West African women were tremendously uplifted and granted an income.

Precious Brady-Davis

Brady-Davis is the leader of a plethora of socially innovative movements; for instance, she’s an LGBTQ+ rights activist and The Sierra Club’s associate regional communications director.

In regards to sustainability, she’s a climate activist who emphasizes how essential it is to recognize the social implications residing within climate change. More specifically, climate change is, in fact, just as much of a social justice issue as it is an environmental one. 

With public health as her special interest, Brady-Davis is one of the many female leaders in sustainability and education revolving around it.

Autumn Peltier

At 16 years old, Autumn Peltier is yet another essential leader and  advocate for  collective environmental consciousness. Peltier’s focus revolves around clean and safe drinking water for all. 

Her impact on sustainability going forward has already been tremendous, especially after speaking at the United Nations World Water Day and speaking directly to the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, about protecting water sources throughout the country.

Brandi Susewitz

After receiving a 50% pay cut during the pandemic alongside her husband, Eric, she decided to start a company that would revolutionize the office furniture industry: Reseat. That’s right, this very platform. 

For decades, businesses ran into the same conflict lease after lease: office furniture waste. When the 7-year lease runs its time, it’s likely that offices hold floors upon floors of gently-used, high-grade office furniture that’s built to last nearly 15 years. In a fit of reaction, facility managers had no other choice than to dump their building’s furniture into landfill. 

As a solution, Susewitz created a platform where buyers and sellers of gently-used office furniture can connect directly, with add-to-cart checkout, design solutions, and a Reseat ID to track your furniture’s previous owners and maintenance.

“Architecture should be working on improving the environment of people in their homes, in their places of work, and their places of recreation”

Norma Sklarek

In light of this month being a time where we acknowledge, celebrate, and commemorate Black History and its many figures, as well as educate ourselves regarding these matters, we felt it not only appropriate but necessary to shed some light upon some of the design industry’s most accomplished Black architects and designers.

Before jumping right into the spotlights, it’s important to note these stats:  

As of 2019, 116,242 licensed architects in the United States construct the homes we live in, the schools we learn in, the buildings we work in, and so much more within our suburbs and cities (NCARB). Of those 116,242 licensed architects, only a narrow 2% are Black. That’s only 2,325 in the United states.

What about designers? According to the 2019 AIGA Design Census, only 3% of designers across all mediums identify as Black. That’s only 23,582 out of 786,071 total. 

It’s important to recognize Black architects and designers given the fact that they make up such a small percentage of a larger group, playing a crucial role in designing the roofs that stand above our heads, alongside the spaces we take up as a whole. Also, in recognizing the larger system that suppresses Black voices and contributes to making accreditation and overall success more difficult to achieve, we can begin to identify the flaws within that system, and work towards change little by little. 

We decided to highlight some of the industry’s most acclaimed Black architects, beginning with the very first:

Beverly Loraine Greene

By the time he was just four years old, both of his parents had passed away. Fostered throughout his youth, he attended Polytechnic High School where he was heavily advised to steer away from architecture. Upon persevering, he proceeded to graduate from USC in 1919 as the first Black graduate from that school. 

Licensure laws had been passed in 1897, and it took 24 years for the first Black architect, Williams, to obtain that official title in 1921. He went on to cultivate his own practice in 1922, become licensed to practice in New York and Washington DC in 1933, and work solo post-Pearl Harbor in 1941. 

Upon steering towards his solo career, he closed his Los Angeles office and collaborated with architect Quincy Jones on 20 known projects. One of his most well-known projects includes the Palm Springs Tennis Club. Williams retired in 1973, and he was awarded the nation AIA Gold Medal in 2017 (US Modernist). 

Precious Brady-Davis

The first Black female to become a licensed architect in the United States was Beverly Loraine Greene, who, at 27 years old, became licensed in 1942. Pursuing licensure in architecture as a Black individual comes with its preexisting obstacles; not only did Greene face these, but the ones that come alongside being a woman.

She spent a lot of time hitting many barriers in Chicago, with no clients willing to hire a Black architect, despite having the proper licensing. Upon facing rejection time and time again, she moved to New York City. This turned out to be a good move for her, as she continued on to collaborate with some of the industry’s most famed modernist designers, such as Marcel Breuer.

Norma Sklarek

Another one of history’s most powerful Black architects include Harlem-born Norma Sklarek, born in 1926. Similar to Beverly Loraine Green, Sklarek faced both obstacles in racism and sexism. Sklarek was the only Black female student pursuing architecture at Barnard College and Columbia University in New York. 

She holds many “firsts” in architecture, of which were not obtained easily. These include being New York’s first licensed Black female architect in 1954, the first Black female constituent belonging to the AIA, the first black female architect belonging to California in 1962, the first black female architect to be titled a Fellow by the AIA in 1980, and the first black female to establish the United States’s largest woman-owned architecture firm in 1985.

We hope you enjoyed educating yourselves on just a few of the most notorious Black pioneers in architecture. Let’s use Black History Month to educate one another and take appropriate actions towards change. 

Here’s the deal.

Sourcing products is a major element of business function. Believe us, we know. 

If this element is flawed, however, it can set a domino effect of complications in motion, and we’re pretty sure you’d like to avoid those at all costs. 

However, environmental consciousness is not only a vital function within a company’s operations, but is increasingly becoming set as an expectation for many; it’s an attractive quality to have.

Here’s why you should be sourcing sustainably.

It turns out that just over 70% of participants in this Fast Company study expressed interest in working for a company with high sustainability standards. They even expressed willingness to a wage decrease if the business pursued a green business model (up to 10%). 

Additionally, 64% of millennials in this separate poll voiced an aversion for businesses that didn’t practice social and environmental consciousness. 

With that said, if you aren’t sourcing your product sustainably, this might be an unattractive quality to both consumers and the workforce (also to Mother Nature).

Here are some brands to keep an eye out for.

Coalesse sits as a part of Steelcase, offering a space for contemporary, modern office furniture to sit in its own spotlight. 

Coalesse’s sustainability goals align with the same ones as Steelcase, and sit alongside numerous awards for sustainability, including BIFMA and ISO 14001 certification. Coalesse and Steelcase together have been able to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020, and an immense reduction in greenhouse gasses by 34%. Landfill waste has been reduced by 36%, and an 83% reduction in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). 

Right on!

With the future of design in mind, Coalesse sets their sights on further goals that will better contribute to a more sustainable manufacturing network. 

All information gathered from the Coalesse website. 

Beginning in 1947, Hon has continuously emphasized the need for keen control on furniture life cycle, from start to finish. They focus on utilizing materials that already circulate the office world, creating pieces with already existing materials. Talk about upcycling. They’ve got parallel goals to Coalesse, including chasing a zero-waste to landfill goal, depletion in greenhouse gas emissions, and sourcing 100% renewable electricity. How cool is that?

Once you’re done with the product, they can be disassembled and recycled accordingly. They’re partnered with EPA SmartWay Shipping as well, which saves fuel and reduces emissions. Hon also carries BIFMA certifications, including a Level 2 certificate and three Level 3 certificates.

Sounds like they are on the right track to creating a sustainable future in furniture manufacturing. All information gathered from the Hon website.

What about sourcing specific materials sustainably?

Sourcing material sustainably does have its challenges, especially if you’re not the one doing the hands-on creation of a product such as furniture. 

How do we, as the consumers of wood furniture, whether in residential or commercial spaces, maintain environmental friendliness if we’re not the ones going out and cutting down the trees personally? 

The answer is simple: always consider pre-existing materials first before buying new. When you’re done with the furniture and are ready to swap it out for something updated, look into offering it second-hand as opposed to leaving it to the landfill. 

Sourcing pre-existing materials doesn’t always have to look like buying the piece in its entirety. More specifically, using recycled wood fibers to source paper, cardboard, or other packaging materials is a fantastic way to eliminate waste in the lumber world (From the Forest). 

If you can’t find products made from pre-existing materials, using products that are made from recyclable materials is a great way to source your product sustainably.

Here’s what’s recyclable:

• Steel
• Aluminum
• Iron
• Tin
• Metal containers
• Glass
• Wood
• Some fabrics such as polyester

Happy sourcing!

Among all the perplexities of running a business, going green can be something difficult to prioritize. Especially if you’ve got a lot going on, it can be difficult to know how or what elements of sustainability to push to the top of your priorities list. Not to mention, prioritizing eco-friendliness in your business is believed to be a very financially-taxing move to make. 

Let us let you in on a little secret, though: Going green can actually save your bandwidth some stress in the long run. Where’s the evidence to support that though? Look no further. 

Everybody is familiar with solar panels, right? Well, if you make the move of installing them, it could decrease your taxes by a third of the installation cost. Even better, it could cut your energy bill in half (NerdWallet).

Additionally, this 2012 report reveals that hospitals that make smart moves in regards to energy consumption ended up projecting their savings as nearly $15 billion over the course of a decade. 

Still not convinced? UCLA collaborated with the University of Paris-Dauphine and found that productivity was up by 16 percent for employees working at eco-conscious companies. This study revealed that the employees found more motivation, better training practices, and formed more meaningful interpersonal relationships with their peers. These three factors alone had the power to increase efficiency overall. 

Here are five ways to make your company an eco-conscious one, one step at a time:

1. If able, encourage your employees to work from home.

It’s daunting at first thought, we know, but fear not. 

Let’s think about this: if your employees work remotely, how does this benefit you? It’s simple; your costs to maintain the work environment goes way down. Heating, cooling, lighting, water usage, and paper waste are all examples of elements that can be saved over time. Your overall carbon footprint will decrease as well, go you!

In addition, your employees’ carbon footprint will decrease too! Since they’re not commuting to work five days a week, they’re not emitting emissions nearly as often as they would otherwise. 

Remote work benefits you, them, and your company’s budget. How? According to Global Workplace Analytics, real estate costs were cut by nearly $50 million, and the average annual savings for a single full-time remote employee turned out to be roughly $10,000.

2. Start using eco-friendly paper, or get rid of it altogether.

Gone are the times of unnecessary paper usage in the workplace. 

$250,000 to $10 billion were saved solely by digitizing things like manuals or guides, according to this report. 

In a pinch, recycled paper can come in handy too. The good news is it’s roughly the same cost as traditional paper. Printing double-sided or onto pieces of scrap paper are also ways you can take it easy on paper consumption.

3. Illuminate sustainably.

That’s right, switching details as easy-missed as lighting can make quite the difference in your business’s carbon footprint. The Department of Energy projects that LEDs could save the United States over $30 billion by 2027 through widespread usage.

In fact, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been proven to save your band width by emitting 25 to 30 percent less energy when compared to incandescent light. 

They are indeed more expensive than your typical incandescent lights, though much like many other investments you’ll make, this one saves you money in the long run by lasting over 20 years.

4. Run your water mindfully.

There are many ways to conserve water by making some tweaks here and there. Let’s dive in: 

Bad news first: According to NASA, more than 25% of all water usage in city areas is consumed by companies’ inefficient appliances. 

Here’s the good news: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, you can save your small office nearly $300 annually by switching to water-efficient appliances.

5. We’re here for you. Furnish your space with second-life products from Reseat.

That’s right, we’re here to help. 

When you’re ready to refurbish your office space with high-quality second-life furniture, we’ll be here to get you started on your furniture’s second life cycle journey.

The first time I heard of the term “ergonomics” was in my second year of college. It was most likely a Tuesday at “Zoom University.” Amidst the awkward silences that come with teaching on Zoom, my introductory psychology professor delivered his lecture and mentioned the term in explaining an experiment of sorts. I’ll go ahead and reiterate his exact words:

“When the item you’re using has your best interest in mind.”

Obviously, this is a pretty watered-down definition, if a definition at all. It personifies the item, forcing you to make some unclear inferences. 

To polish this definition in the context of psychology, ergonomics implies that the is taking into account your limitations and capabilities in devising the piece.

The design of the product is contributing to your efficiency and productivity as a user. We might think of a pen designed with some extra cushion, allowing you to write novels upon novels. Okay, maybe not novels, but short stories perhaps?

How does ergonomics relate specifically to you though? Well, it relates to all of us. Its presence is a substantial element of what makes an office space functional, or any space for that matter. It helps us achieve maximum productivity.  

Let’s dive into a more formal definition of ergonomics, shall we?

According to the ol’ reliable Google search, ergonomics is considered to be, “the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.” In specific relation to the workplace, however, ergonomics refers to the science of designing the workplace. Now that’s more up our alley. This is where the designer must remain mindful of the nature of human beings. They might have to ask themselves what we are physically capable of achieving given a set amount of time. Based on that answer, the product’s design is born. 

So why does it exist as a science?

Well, the consequences of not valuing ergonomically-functional spaces can take quite a toll on the user, both mentally and physically. Yes, physically. 

When we consume products that do not coordinate with the natural, physical capabilities or limitations of our bodies, we can experience some pretty severe consequences. This involves Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs), musculoskeletal issues, various illnesses, and lack of determination. Not only are you putting yourself at risk of losing your ability to physiologically and mentally function, but you run the risk of some hefty treatment bills. 

That being said, we hope you value ergonomically-rooted products that keep your mental and physical health in mind!

Here are two products that reflect ergonomic values like we do:

Steelcase Sit-to-Stand

This Steelcase Sit-to-Stand desk meets the needs of your positioning preferences! If you feel like you need to stand, the desk will accommodate. Using the functions of this desk promotes healthy blood flow, which helps keep your mind and body sharp as a tack!

Humanscale Freedom Chair

This is another prime example of an ergonomically efficient product! This Humanscale Freedom Chair with a headrest is a fantastic option for those who don’t want to constantly be wondering if their sitting position is taking a toll on their body or not. 

It lowers the risk of long-term injuries by cradling your body, presenting you with synchronously adjustable armrests, and including a thoughtfully-positioned headrest. The chair promotes your productivity and comfort by supporting your body’s needs, giving you one less thing to worry about! 

Whether it be for yourself or an entire team of people, we truly hope you look out for and cherish ergonomics-oriented products as much as we do. They’ll save you some long term trouble, trust us!

Herman Miller is a highly sought-out brand. Believe us, we know.

Though it’s relatively uncommon, it’s possible that some illegitimate products circulate the market. We know how to spot them and do our best to pull them out, but if you suspect we missed something and yours might be phony, here’s three things to check on:

The Label

The label is going to be your key indicator of authenticity. It should have a label on the underside of the seat. If it’s authentic, it’ll say “Herman Miller,” and display a five-digit number that starts with a 5. 

Is the label missing from the bottom?

Don’t fret, there are some other ways to assess this chair’s legitimacy. When you encounter any second-hand item, it’s important to note that they are immediately subject to defects, but fear not – they’re easily fixable.

The Design

Herman Miller chairs have a clean, modern aesthetic; it’s pretty distinctive from others. These chairs are made to last between ten and fifteen years – that’s a pretty extensive life cycle! They should be sturdy and strong (especially the base of the chair); they’re not going to crumble at your fingertips.

If you find that the quality of its structure seems weak, but the label is there and displays the correct information, it might just be something fixable. If you got it from us, we can refer you to all the repair solutions. 

As I mentioned, these chairs are very well-made. The material should feel high quality, durable, and as though it was made with top notch craftsmanship. For example, if you’re sitting in an Eames Lounge Chair, note that they’re all made with rosewood veneer. If it’s made with something else such as plywood, it’s a fake.

The Comfort

When you’ve got the chance, take a seat! 

Herman Miller chairs are really keen on the details, even the comfort elements. When you sit in it, is it ergonomically supportive? It should be. These chairs are renowned for their comfort and would be considerably challenging to recreate.