How to Make a Coworking Space More Sustainable, Step by Step

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The simplest way to make a coworking space greener is to work in order: fix energy use first, then waste in the kitchen and printing, then bring members along. Energy changes tend to pay for themselves through lower bills, and they need no effort from members once they are in place.

What should you measure before changing anything?

Pull the last 12 months of electricity, gas and waste-collection bills and keep them in one sheet. Without that baseline you cannot tell whether a change worked, and you cannot show members or your landlord what you achieved.

Also walk the space at closing time with a notepad. Note which lights, screens, printers and heaters are still on. This quick walk often shows more than the bills do.

How can you cut energy use in a shared office?

Lighting

Replace remaining old bulbs and tubes with LED ones, and add motion sensors in meeting rooms, phone booths and storage areas where lights are often left on. Start with the rooms that are lit the longest each day, since that is where the savings come fastest.

Heating and cooling

A coworking space is empty for a large part of the week, so scheduling matters. A programmable or smart thermostat can lower the setting outside opening hours and bring the room back to temperature before the first members arrive. ENERGY STAR lists certified smart thermostats, which is a good place to compare models. If you lease the space, ask your landlord before changing any equipment.

Devices and standby power

Put shared printers, screens and chargers on power strips with a switch, and make the closing checklist include flipping them off. Ask members to shut down their own screens when they leave for the day.

What is the best way to reduce waste in the kitchen and at the printer?

Reduce first, recycle second. The US EPA describes a hierarchy for food waste in which preventing waste comes before donating food, and both come before composting or disposal; its overview of sustainable food management explains the order. The same logic works for the rest of your space.

• Use real dishes. Stock mugs, glasses and cutlery and a dishwasher, and drop single-use cups and stirrers.
• Buy what members actually use. Track what gets thrown away for a few weeks and order less of it.
• Compost only if you can do it properly. Check whether your local waste service or a community scheme collects food scraps. A badly run bin attracts pests and smells.
• Make printing a deliberate choice. Set printers to double-sided by default and keep a paper-only recycling bin next to them.

Which supplies are worth switching?

Go through the cleaning cupboard, the stationery shelf and the coffee supply, and swap items as they run out rather than all at once. For cleaning products, look for recognised third-party eco-labels rather than words like "natural", which anyone can print on a bottle. For paper and notebooks, recycled content is easy to check on the pack. For coffee and tea, certifications such as Fairtrade or organic tell you something specific; choose them if your members care and your budget allows.

If you are also equipping the space with small practical items, the home gadgets collection is one place to browse.

How do you get members to join in?

People follow what is easy and visible. Put a short note in the welcome pack, label bins with pictures, and keep a small board near the kitchen showing your monthly numbers. Praise improvements publicly and keep the tone friendly rather than preachy.

You can also use the space itself. A short evening talk with a local environmental group fits the way coworking spaces already host events; our post on hosting workshops in a coworking space covers the practical side. If members run their own small teams, a space that shows its habits openly gives them ideas they can copy at home.

Is it worth it for the business?

Lower energy and supply costs are the clearest gain. Some members and companies also prefer to work from places that match their values, so a visible, honest effort can help when you are talking to prospective members. Be specific and truthful about what you have done; vague green claims put people off faster than saying nothing.

Reliable infrastructure matters too. A greener space still has to work for people on calls, so check that changes to heating or lighting do not make the room uncomfortable, and see our guide to reliable internet for remote workers when you review the rest of the setup.

A simple order of work

1. Collect 12 months of bills and do a closing-time walk-through.
2. Fit LEDs and sensors in the rooms that stay lit the longest.
3. Set the heating and cooling schedule to your real opening hours.
4. Switch the kitchen to reusable items and review what you buy.
5. Set printers to double-sided and label every bin clearly.
6. Share results with members monthly and adjust.

Do one or two steps a month. A steady pace is easier to keep up than a big relaunch that fades after a few weeks.

Common questions

What if I do not control the building?

Focus on what is inside your lease: kitchen habits, paper, supplies, device switch-off and member behaviour. For lighting, heating and recycling contracts, ask the landlord or property manager what they can change.

Should I buy new equipment or keep what I have?

Keep working equipment until it needs replacing, then choose the more efficient option. Replacing everything at once creates its own waste and cost.