How You Can Do Your Part: Creating a More Sustainable Office Space

At times, it may feel like the beauty of the earth is slipping away from us. The climate of the earth has been drastically changing over the last hundred years as the energy balance of the planet has been imbalanced. However gloomy this may sometimes seem, whatever is out of balance can always be restored; for example, did you know that in the United States we are planting more trees than we are cutting? Positive change is possible. 

Redesigning your life to make a change can start with your everyday tasks. Your workspace is a great place to start. Creating a sustainable desk setup isn’t just about buying fewer things; it’s about choosing better things. It is about curating a space that promotes focus and productivity while respecting the planet. The era of "fast furniture" and cheap plastic accessories is fading as more professionals look for longevity, natural materials, and ethical production.

If you are looking to refresh your workspace, here is how you can create an eco-friendly home office that looks great, feels better, and does a little good for the Earth.

1. Reduce Energy Use With Greener Tech Habits

Sustainability starts with the invisible elements of your office: power. Sustainability isn’t only about products—it’s also about how you use them. Easy energy-saving habits include:

Switch to LEDs: If you rely on a desk lamp, ensure it is fitted with an LED bulb. They use up to 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.

Eliminate Phantom Energy: Even when turned off, devices like monitors, printers, and speakers draw power (phantom loads). Use a smart power strip that cuts the electricity flow to peripherals when your main computer is turned off. 

Natural Light: Position your desk near a window. Not only does this reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day, but natural light is also proven to boost mood and regulate your circadian rhythm.

Optimize Your Computer: A couple of quick fixes to save energy through your set-up is to make sure your computer is in an energy-saving mode and that your brightness is lowered. 

2. Rethink Your "Touch Points": The Case for Cork

Take a look at the items your hands touch the most: your mouse, your keyboard, and your wrist support. For decades, the standard for these accessories has been synthetic foam, gel, and polyester fabrics. These are petroleum-based products that eventually break down, peel, and end up in the trash where they won't decompose for centuries.

To upgrade your setup, look for natural desk accessories. This is where materials like cork shine. 

Cork is one of the most sustainable materials on the planet. It is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree: the bark regenerates, and the tree continues to absorb CO2—often more than unharvested trees. The bark grows back every 9–12 years, making cork a renewable, biodegradable, and carbon-negative material.

A cork wrist rest, like the ones we handmake, is a simple upgrade that makes your desk setup both more ergonomic and environmentally friendly. Cork naturally provides soft but supportive cushioning, stays cool to the touch, and resists moisture—making it ideal for long hours at the keyboard. Plus, when a cork wrist rest reaches the end of its life, it returns to the earth instead of sitting in a landfill for decades.

If you’re building a sustainable computer setup, this is one of the best swaps you can make. Support your wrists, and support the plant. 

3. Choose Refurbished Tech Over New

E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams on the planet. While we all love the allure of a shiny new gadget, buying refurbished is one of the most impactful choices you can make for a green workspace.

Most major tech companies offer "certified refurbished" laptops, monitors, and tablets. These products are tested, cleaned, and often come with the same warranty as new products, but they keep perfectly good electronics out of the landfill and reduce the demand for mining new rare-earth minerals.

4. Invest in "Slow Furniture"

If you are in the market for a desk or chair, avoid the temptation of cheap particle board furniture. These items are often held together with glues containing formaldehyde and are not designed to survive a move, let alone a decade of use.

Instead, aim for:

• Solid Wood: Look for FSC-certified wood which ensures the timber comes from responsibly managed forests.
• Secondhand: Vintage or used solid wood desks are often built with superior craftsmanship compared to modern flat-pack furniture. Giving a second life to a pre-loved desk is the ultimate form of recycling.
• Bamboo: If you want something new and affordable, bamboo is a fast-growing grass that regenerates quickly, making it a highly renewable alternative to slow-growing hardwoods.

5. Bring the Outdoors In 

A sustainable office should feel alive. Biophilic design—the concept of connecting building occupants more closely to nature—is a key component of a healthy workspace. Adding indoor plants to your desk setup, like a peace lily or a snake plant, does more than just look "Pinterest-perfect." They also increase humidity and have been shown to lower stress levels. 

6. Declutter (Digital and Physical)

A sustainable desk setup is a simple one. Reducing clutter helps you stay organized, think clearly, and cut down on unnecessary purchases.

Try:

• Minimizing paper usage
  
  
• Storing only the tools you actually use
  
  
• Digitizing old notes, receipts, and documents
  
  

Digital decluttering is also underrated. Deleting unused files, emails, and duplicate photos reduces your cloud storage footprint, which ultimately lowers the amount of energy used to power remote servers.

Conclusion: Progress Over Perfection

Building a sustainable workspace doesn't happen overnight. Instead of throwing out all of your belongings, adopt a mindset of mindful replacement. When your cheap mouse pad starts to fray, replace it with natural cork. When your lamp breaks, replace it with an energy-efficient LED model. Every small change contributes to a larger impact. By prioritizing natural materials, durability, and energy efficiency, you can build a workspace that fosters your best work while keeping our planet healthy.