Green Standards

It was such a pleasure to be part of the #circularworkplace project with Green Standards - make sure to check out their very cool report : https://lnkd.in/gC2FPNsu

#Circularity requires collaboration, so we were thrilled to see all the connections being made last night at the Toronto Circularity Network meetup in our offices. Kudos to Breanne Belitski & Alex Lukachko for building this engaged community & George Strickland for sharing his expertise!

Right down the road is a huge refit project to turn a corporate office building into a new residential building in Manhattan. The previous occupant still has an office space, they are not one of the 'flight to flexibility' corporates. In fact they have moved into a new space lauded for it's sustainability credentials. Watching the decommission of the old site, with the trucks and trucks of waste heading...somewhere reminds me that the exciting new build is only half the story. Green Standards has released their #CircularWorkplace guide with tips and recommendations from contributors around the world to raise awareness and create positive impact, and I am proud to contribute to this community!

If you know that sustainable office decommissioning saves time, money, waste, carbon, and headaches, you deserve credit! And now you can get it with our new free continuing education course, approved by the The American Institute of Architects (AIA), IDCEC - International Design Continuing Education Council Inc., Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), and 26 more industry associations. https://lnkd.in/gKcj3yi6

This #GivingTuesday, we salute all the organizations that have prioritized community donations in their sustainable decommissioning plans. In 2024 to date, we've distributed $5,027,085 worth of their furniture, fixtures, and equipment to 1,008 non-profits in the Green Standards Charitable Network — a new record in our company's 15-year history.

Did you know that reusing office furniture can dramatically reduce waste, save resources, and even contribute to a company’s sustainability goals? 🌍 Take a cue from forward-thinking organizations featured in this Fast Company article here. They’re embracing a circular approach, using pre-owned furniture in new office spaces to align with their environmental values while maintaining high-quality, functional designs. At Green Standards, we see this trend every day. By prioritizing reuse, companies not only extend the life of furniture but also cut embodied carbon, avoid landfill, and often support local communities through donations of surplus items. It’s not just clever—it’s the future of office design and sustainability. Have you or your organization considered giving old furniture new life? Let’s talk about how this approach can benefit your next office project. https://lnkd.in/gad3FMGR #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Reuse #GreenStandards #OfficeFurniture

We are taking action to deliver on our commitment to environmental sustainability by partnering with Green Standards to keep unused workplace furniture and equipment out of the landfill while generating positive local community impact.     So far, this has resulted in 120 tonnes of material being turned into $57,985 in charitable donations that will directly benefit communities and local institutions in Ontario, including schools and not-for-profit organizations.    You can read more about our sustainability objectives and measures in our Impact Report, “Working for good: How we’re making a difference in Ontario.” https://lnkd.in/gnmhktEa

Kudos to andrea vanecko and NBBJ Design for this excellent overview of how designers can build the #circularworkplace: "While the building industry is having much needed conversations about sustainability through the lens of embodied carbon, energy and water use, there’s another often-overlooked culprit when it comes to generating waste. And we’re literally sitting on top of it." https://lnkd.in/g6Qjj54X

Architects are key players in the #CircularWorkplace, not least because they've been leading the charge in tracking embodied carbon throughout the built environment. With accurate data in hand, they can:   Create buildings that are adaptable to changing uses over time. 🏢🔄🔧   Repurpose existing structures and assets instead of building new. ♻️🏚️🏗️   Understand the full environmental impact of materials from extraction to disposal. 🌱🔍📉   Collaborate with designers, engineers, builders, and sustainability consultants throughout the project lifecycle. 🤝👷♂️🌍   Plan for the eventual deconstruction of buildings, viewing them as material banks. 🔨♻️🚧 Contributors include: Andrew Ellsworth at Doors Unhinged Sam K Allen, at M Moser Associates Dr. Christine Bruckner, at M Moser Associates Benjamin Holsinger at Gensler Jeffery Frost at Brightworks Sustainability Eric Law at Urban Machine Jenn Chen, at LMN Architects Kjell Anderson, at LMN Architects Raefer Wallis at RESET® Kay Sargent at HOK Patricia Semmler at PEMstudio Simona Fischer at MSR Design Reach out to learn more about our latest report: #CircularEconomy #BuiltEnvironment #Architects

Looking forward to connecting at this week's CoreNet Global Summit in DC.  If you are attending, let's catch up and join a session together. DMs are open  #CNG24DC