With today's headlines focusing our attention on the environment and being more eco-friendly, it is time to look at our workspaces and do what we can to make them more environmentally friendly.

As I write this blog, part of the news is taken up by the fact that we are in danger of losing vast amounts of the insect life on earth. I know a lot of us are not too keen on spiders and what we consider to be creepy crawlies, but it is a sobering thought to think we might lose them and what that would mean for the ecosystem. 

This thought alone should inspire us to make some serious efforts to go greener.

The list below is just a few easy things you can do to make your workspace greener:

• This may seem incredibly obvious and is something you already do at home, but are you promoting recycling in the workplace? Ensure you have enough recycling bins with notices on display of what goes where. Try to recycle office paper and buy recycled products as much as possible.

• Purchase more energy efficient equipment. When you need to replace a piece of equipment, look at the label to see if the device is labelled as energy efficient. These items may cost a little more, but they will prove more cost effective in the long run. Why not start with LED lighting?
• Now I know I have covered this in one of my other blogs, but add plants to your workspace. Not only do they brighten up the office, but they have the ability to provide oxygen. Look out for Part 2 of this blog where I intend to talk about biophilic design in the workspace.

• How old are your windows? Do they need replacing? You could be using a significant amount of energy trying to keep your office warm in the winter and cold in the summer. By using more energy you will be emitting more gas into the atmosphere influencing the greenhouse effect. So take a look at your windows.

• Think about installing solar panels to power certain systems in your building. By doing this you will be reducing your emissions and pay less for the energy that you do use. You can even get solar panels to stick on your windows to power your gadgets.

Don't delay, have a look around and see what you can do to help our environment and insects.

Debbie Wilson