Make Your Office Earth-Friendly

As Earth Month comes to an end for 2022, think about how you helped the environment this year. Maybe you participated in a community cleanup on Earth Day. You might have tried to take public transportation more often or participated in a carpool. But with the stress of the pandemic, the truth for most is they probably didn’t do as much as they wanted to. 

Whether or not you feel you’ve done enough, everyday is a new opportunity to practice environmental sustainability in public, at work and at home. And with so many workers working remotely, why not use this opportunity to make home offices more sustainable? 

Read on below for some greener choices you can implement to make your office at home (or work) more environmentally friendly!

Manual Crank Desks

The environmental benefits of manual standing desks are obvious. No need for electricity means no electricity is wasted. Most people are unaware that electrical appliances still drain electricity while plugged in, even if turned off.

Unlike electric standing desks, the only power source needed to change the height is you. Don’t be fooled by the design simplicity. A good crank desk should still be comparable to an electric one. Our manual crank model has the same height limit as the single motor desk and also holds up to 100kg!

Do you love DIY projects or have some engineering experience in you? Some crafty users have successfully used cordless drills to upgrade the hand crank on their manual desks!

Desk Converters

Converters are a similar option for those of us who want an environmentally friendly standing desk but don’t know what to do with their current desk. Another great product for environmental sustainability because you are usually practicing all three Rs when you buy a converter instead of a standing desk: 

Reduce: Converters reduce your waste by being an all-in-one desk. This model has dedicated slots for your keyboard/mouse and tablet so you don’t need to purchase them separately. 

Reuse: The best part about converters is that they work on any desk it can fit on. This saves you money by letting you keep your current desk setup.   

Recycle: Laminate wood is made of synthetic materials stacked and glued in layers. Converters made with laminate wood use recycled materials, keeping them out of landfills.

LED Desk Lamp

Using LED lamps instead of overhead lights can save you money while you practice sustainability. Large light fixtures suck up a lot of power so try lamps if you only need to illuminate your workstation. 

These lamps are not made with harmful chemicals like mercury and they actually illuminate better than traditional bulbs. 10w LEDs are up to 80% more effective at outputting light than a 60w incandescent bulb. 

You’ll also be keeping bulbs out of landfills because LEDs have a 50,000 hour or  20 year lifespan. 

Wireless Slim Mouse

Yep, even what type of computer mouse you use affects how environmentally friendly your office is. While it’s no excuse to ditch your current mouse, a wireless mouse is one of the most sustainable mouse options. 

The biggest problem in a wired mouse is that the wire is not very durable. Wireless mice are the best long term option for anyone who has to travel with their mouse. Wires can break during travel and can become weaker overtime from constant tugging in a standing desk setup.

Keep in mind that not all wireless mice are created equal.If sustainability is your goal, ensure that the mouse has an internal rechargeable battery. Environment Canada recently revealed that only 5% of consumer batteries in Ontario were being recycled; keep batteries out of landfills!  

Reclaimed Elm Tables

Reclaimed elm tables are made from real wood, not a manufactured vinyl or laminate surface. Rather than cutting down more trees, these tops are made with recycled wood. Here are three ways these tops provide a real-wood aesthetic while being environmentally conscious: 

   1.Reduce Landfill Waste

There are lots of places where you may find wood destined for the trash like barns or even remodelling projects. There’s often nothing wrong with this wood but since it’s not of any use anymore it gets thrown out.

Wood that ends up in landfills can’t be reused because it mixes with other trash. Not only does this create excess waste, it prevents the wood from decomposing completely. Repurposing used wood for furniture cuts down on landfill waste and environmental pollution.

   2. Saves Energy

When compared to how much goes into preparing new wood for use, reclaimed wood is a huge time and money saver. In fact, a study found energy consumption is 11 to 13 times greater when new wood is used instead of reclaimed wood! The amount of time spent cutting, preparing and transporting is drastically decreased when reclaimed wood is used. 

   3. Saves Trees

Reclaimed wood furniture prevents deforestation by reducing the demand for new wood. Although some countries have regulations and protected forests, others do little to protect our natural resources. Reclaimed wood is an ethical choice if you are wary of wood harvesting practices. 

River Tables 

River tops are made with the environment in mind in two ways.

The first is the most apparent. The beautiful river of resin alongside solid wood creates a stunning representation of a lush, forested terrain. There is no better tabletop if you want a visual reminder of your dedication to sustainability. 

The second way is less obvious but benefits the environment greatly. Our river tops are finished by UV coating, a type of curing that  utilizes ultraviolet radiation. Typical wood tops use oil or water based finishes that release high levels of solvents classified as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs evaporate at room temperature and are bad for your health as well as the environment. A common VOC used to finish wood is formaldehyde. 

100% UV coating contains little to no VOCs and the amount of energy required is significantly less than other methods of finishing.  

Sustainability at AnthroDesk

There is so much pride to be had in creating an environmentally friendly workspace. We all share this world and even little decisions like what desktop we choose have a big impact on the future of our planet. We’re pleased to offer products that are made with both sustainability and ergonomics in mind that don’t sacrifice on quality or function.