People usually tend to have a misconception that it is very difficult to lead a sustainable life. But is it really that difficult? Based on our experiences, here are 5 green ways to transform your work desk into a sustainable one, without having to make drastic changes!

 

Green Work Desk: #1 Hello, plant

Did you know that having plants on your work desk helps to increase happiness and productivity?

They will also help to enliven your workspace! Desk plants require low maintenance and help to improve the environment by purifying the air and regulating air humidity.

You can easily get a small desk plant from shops such as Muji, IKEA or any florists.  For those who prefer to have low maintenance plants, you can consider buying devil’s ivy, cacti or peace lily.

 

Green Work Desk: #2 Bye bye metal stapler

A single staple might be irrelevant but when you think about a number of resources used to make staplers, it suddenly becomes a significant matter.

A solution to this problem? Paper stapler! A paper staple is one that uses a special binding method to fasten the sheets, without the use of metal staples. How cool is that! But you should take note that this stapler is suitable for stapling documents of about 5 pages.

P.S. Why not challenge yourself not to use a stapler at all?

 

 

Green Work Desk: #3 The beauty of refills

Some of us may have the bad habit of throwing a pen away every time after use.

But have you ever thought about getting refills? Not only do they help you practice sustainability, it is also cheaper as compared to getting a whole new pen!

Refills are not only restricted to pens. You can buy refills for highlighters or whiteboard markers which can be found in almost every bookshop. So, what is stopping you?

 

Green Work Desk: #4 Fancy pencils

It doesn’t come as a surprise that traditional pencils are much more environmentally friendly as compared to mechanical pencils due to the way they are manufactured.

And who doesn’t love to use fancy and innovative pencils? There are traditional pencils which can be replanted into trees after use, such as Sprout whose pencils grow into various species of plants (eg: Basil, Mint, Sunflower and Sage).

There are even traditional pencils made out of recycled newspapers. Why not give them a try?

 

 

Green Work Desk: #5 Say No To Spiral Notebooks

One small detail that is often left out is when you purchase a spiral notebook (i.e. notebooks which are bound with a metal spine).

Although it can be argued that the metal spine can be recycled, isn’t it better to avoid it completely? This also helps you save the hassle of separating the papers from the metal spine.

My personal favourite brand of non-spiral notebooks is from Muji, even some of their planners are non-spiral! If you are a student and are looking for other ways to incorporate sustainable habits into your student life, here are 5 tips to go zero waste.

 

Have more green ways to transform your work desk into a sustainable one? Feel free to drop us a few comments!