Many employees want to work for businesses that reflect their own values and promote greener living, smaller carbon footprints and feeling connected with nature. In fact, sustainability is an increasingly important factor not just in attracting prospective employees, but also clients and business partners, as well as retaining existing staff by providing a desirable work environment.
One easy way to convey that you are a sustainable, green employer is by decorating your office space in a way that puts sustainability on show – and there’s no better way to do so than with plants.
How to decorate offices with plants
The first step in greening up your offices is considering your space and time commitment. Which plants you choose will depend on the lighting conditions of your office, how often you are willing and able to water your plants, as well as the layout of your space and what size plants you’d like.
From small desk plants to large rectangular planter boxes acting as room dividers, office plants come in lots of shapes and sizes. Think about where plants could go in your space and don’t be afraid to be creative – you could make green dividing walls between desks with snake plants, have climbing plants cover beams or create a small urban jungle in the breakroom by placing plants on windowsills.
To style multiple plants in a space, consider placing them at different levels, with some larger plants on the ground, some smaller ones on desks and shelves, and some hanging plants for a visually interesting, natural-looking office environment. You can also create centrepieces, which focuses a room on one arrangement of plants. This is a great option for the reception area of your office, instantly signalling to visitors that you are a green employer.
There are also some more unique installations like living wall art indoor frames, room dividers and walls, which work in multiple different sizes and provide an easy, eye-catching piece of functional décor that boosts employer satisfaction and wellbeing.
To add even more of an environmentally friendly touch to your office plants, consider using biodegradable and sustainable pots and planters, such as those made of wood or natural plant fibres. Hanging baskets, wooden planters and even good old terracotta make for great sustainable plant pots. Consider also joinery planter boxes, which are constructed out of wood and can add further natural elements and earthy tones to the space while providing an easy way to integrate plants into your office furniture.
When choosing plants, where to put them, how many to get and how to fit them into your office, don’t forget that even the easiest plants to care for still need regular maintenance, like all living beings. To keep you and your staff focused on your busy to-do lists, consider getting professional indoor plant maintenance for fast, efficient service that keeps your plants thriving and looking fantastic.
What are the best plants for sustainable improvement of indoor air quality?
Decorating with office plants has numerous benefits, not least of which is that they improve indoor air quality by releasing oxygen and reducing carbon dioxide and indoor pollutants. As we all notice air quality more acutely in recent times, many people are investing in non-environmentally friendly solutions and overlook plants as a sustainable alternative.
NASA actually tested a variety of plants on their ability to absorb harmful compounds from the air, which is how we know which plants do particularly well at this task. There’s lots to choose from, and the good news is that there is a range of indoor plants that are easy to grow and easy to care for while also improving air quality. Let’s look at some of them:
Snake Plant
Many plants remove pollutants like VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which can make people feel drowsy, tired, and cause headaches, from the air. The snake plant is one of them – add to that the fact that it is extremely easy to grow and thrives in almost all environments, and it’s a perfect office plant.
Philodendrons
Philodendrons are also exceptional at purifying the air, particularly when it comes to filtering out toxins like formaldehyde. You can choose from both climbing and non-climbing varieties of philodendrons, depending on your space. With their large, deep green leaves, they are also an excellent choice aesthetically.
Peace Lily
A common office plant with deep green leaves, peace lilies remove a variety of harmful chemicals from the air, including ammonia, benzene and formaldehyde. With low to moderate light needs, peace lilies thrive easily in most offices and add some extra charm with their beautiful flowers.
ZZ Plant
For an interesting office plant that doesn’t require a lot of natural light, consider the humble but fun ZZ plant, which needs very little to thrive and grows slowly, reducing the need for frequent repotting, all while removing toxins from the air. With their low water needs, these are great sustainable plants to grow in your office.
Bamboo Palm
The stylish and classic Bamboo Palm is a welcome addition to any office space, with its bright green leaves. However, Bamboo Palms don’t just look good. This remarkable plant can also improve air quality, filtering toxic compounds such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and benzene, as well as airborne dust and mould.
Office plants are a sustainable solution to purify air while also making employees, clients and other visitors see that you are a green employer who cares about sustainability. A great way to add greenery to your office is by hiring plants through indoor plant hire Sydney, which allows you to profit from the expertise of plant professionals both for setup and maintenance, as well as a huge variety of indoor plants.
