Coworking is Green

Cubes & Crayons coworking has always been eco-friendly.  Being green was never a choice.  And now with rising gas prices and people becoming more aware of their environmental impact i.e. carbon footprint, I am proud to remind people that coworking is eco-friendly. 

Take one of my favorite coworkers, MK, who rides his bike to Cubes&Crayons and does everything via laptop.  He walks to get lunch, enjoys coffee in our lounge, and sits in furnishings made from recycled materials using eco-friendly considerations.  Many coworking spaces across the nation are located near public transportation in making it easier for people to access without jumping into their car.  In addition to Cubes&Crayons, other coworking spaces proudly can tout their eco-friendly push.  Look at Green Desk in Brooklyn and thinkspace in Redmond, Washington. To get to Cubes & Crayons, people walk or take the train or bike.  If they drive, they still live within a 10 mile radius (for the most part) and if using the childcare, they work right where they drop their child off for care, so they streamline that trip into one.

Additionally, every element of Cubes&Crayons is fabulously green. See all the ways we stay green for now and for the future..

Our Green Mission - At Cubes & Crayons, we were born “green.” Cubes&Crayons mission is to engage and create an eco–friendly community of productive and innovative individuals.  We are solution-oriented which affects every element of our choices from our selections of materials in our campus design to every day functioning.  Being committed to the environment is good for the community and ultimately good for business.

How we do it -

• OUR ENVIRONMENT - Our carpets are made from recycled carpet and can be recycled when they are replaced.  They sit atop a carpet cushion made from 100% recycled materials, which reduces the waste created each year.  Our carpet manufacturer trucking is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys SmartWay Transport Partner program. The SmartWay program is a voluntary collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.  We aim to select carpets and flooring that is manufactured as close as possible to each campus in order to reduce fuel consumption in transportation.  Paints are selected not just for color but also for their low or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) qualities, preventing pollution and creating a non-toxic environment for our clients.
• OUR FURNISHINGS - In selecting furnishings for a Cubes & Crayons, we purchase from green manufacturers whenever possible.  Like Cubes & Crayons, LLC, our primary supplier of office furnishings is committed to the environment in all aspects of their manufacturing. Most of their suppliers are concentrated within a 50-mile radius, which means less fuel is used to transport materials. This minimizes fuel consumption as furniture is shipped. Furnishings are selected with versatility in mind.  The furniture is easily movable and reconfigurable, allowing for maximum user flexibility and reuse. This means that when a Cubes & Crayons campus can change needs as we grow without discarding furniture and purchasing new furnishings.  Materials in our furnishings come from recycled materials and manufactured using “lean” techniques to reduce waste, materials, space and energy.
• COMMITMENT IN ALL CHOICES - The eco-friendly environment at Cubes & Crayons reaches beyond the choice of materials and design and is an integral part of the company's day-to-day activities.  Purchasing office supplies from www.thegreenoffice.com, using recycled toner cartridges and going paperless whenever possible all contribute to staying green. Purchases for the child development center are made from eco-friendly manufacturers and local suppliers such as RAFT, a resource for teachers that adds educational value to donated materials (www.raft.net).  Any scrap paper from the office area is also saved for art projects in the child development center. Solutions, rather than compromises, are what Cubes & Crayons is all about.

Comments

[thinkspace]

Thanks for mentioning thinkspace. Yes, we're green and yes, we're near public transportation. We are about 200 ft from the Redmond Transit Center. I just looked C&C up on walkscore.com and you guys scored a 95/100 in walkability. We also happened to score the same!

It's nice to read about all the green things that you've done to your sustainable office space. I also like the fact that you're keeping your paper scraps for art projects! Keep it up and if your business ever takes you up to Redmond, please stop by!

Peter