The future of open plan offices

Offices are becoming more and more flexible with changing floorplans, working hours, and attitudes to employees’ needs. Gone are the days of closed offices or cubicles; now we’re much more likely to work from beautifully furnished open plan or agile spaces.

But how can we ensure that our future open plan offices will keep their core values of collaboration and innovation as technology and design evolve, and as recycling becomes even more crucial than ever before?

Resource - Method Bin Placement Guide

Check out our bin placement guide here to find out how to place communal recycling stations and bins around your space to optimise recycling rates.

Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming a key focus in the modern office, as corporate responsibility and a commitment to environmental initiatives are increasingly being recognised as important for collective action against climate change.

Having recycling bins out in the open ensures employees can easily access them without having to hunt for bins hiding in cabinetry. As it only takes a second to dispose of waste, many people will choose the most accessible and easiest disposal option. If the landfill bin is visible while recycling bins are hidden away, landfill will often become the default option. Freestanding recycling bins make all recycling streams equally visible and accessible, transforming recycling into an effortless process.

People adopt new habits through watching and following others. As open plan recycling makes recycling a visible process, people become more conscious about doing it properly. When people know they’re being watched, even subconsciously, they tend to make more conscious decisions.

Activity

Sitting at your desk all-day is not beneficial for your productivity or for your posture. To tackle this, modern offices have created an employee experience where activity is key.

There should be one recycling station (interlocked recycling bins) for every 30-50 employees in your office, with employees never more than a 10 second walk from them.

Style + flexibility

Just as open plan offices give you flexibility in how you work, open plan recycling gives you flexibility in how you recycle. Freestanding recycling stations can be set up where they are needed most, and the number of bins, colours and waste-streams can be customised to cater to the specific needs of your office. Whether you just need a paper recycling bin by the printer, or a full-scale recycling station that separates organics, glass, plastic and landfill, open plan recycling can meet your office’s recycling requirements.

Flexibility is key as recycling evolves. Having easily interchangeable bins gives you the option of adding or amending waste streams as you see necessary.This need for flexibility is particularly prevalent in larger, corporate fit-outs, where bigger spatial changes occur as teams move or expand and spaces go from boardrooms to training rooms to large format event spaces.

How do you think open plan offices will evolve?

Get the Recycling Solution Designed for Your Space

Get in touch with one of our knowledgeable BDMs to start to increase your recycling rates with Open Plan Recycling, get in touch here.

Find out more about the rest of the Method range of behaviour changing bins here.