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Companies need to invest in green office environments and indoor office plants

Posted by Southern Botanical, Inc. in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX on Mar 28, 2012

On their website, the Plantscape Industry Alliance (PIA) recently referred to this article about why companies need to invest in green office environments and indoor office plants.

Surveys reveal the benefits of having greenery in the workplace and shows the main sectors that are investing in office plants

Southern Botanical, Inc.

Businesses may be cutting back on discretionary costs but they could be counting the cost in lost productivity if they get rid of plants in the workplace. According to research conducted by The University of Exeter, a greener workplace can result in higher levels of employee engagement, well-being and even boost productivity by up to 32%.

Top green environments

Analysis of green workplaces has revealed that financial institutions are the most likely to have indoor office plants in the workplace. Hotels and the hospitality industry are second on the list, while manufacturers come third. These businesses are not only investing in enhancing the office environment with planting but as the research has found, they could be seeing productivity benefits too.

Plants can help improve employee productivity, reduce absenteeism and boost well-being in the workplace. Independent tests have shown that plants and personalisation of work areas can create a 12% improvement in reaction times, lower blood pressure by 1-4 units and reduce fatigue by 30%.

Health benefits

Healthcare businesses including private hospitals ranked 6th in the list, where indoor office plants can create a sense of calm for patients and improve recovery times. While property management came seventh and restaurants eighth on the list, media and advertising businesses came in ninth place where planting can make a design statement while supporting creativity through the health benefits offered.

Finally government and local government came in tenth - welcome news given the challenge the public sector faces in supporting employee engagement.

In this period of austerity it is vital for businesses to think carefully about the impact of cuts on business productivity. Plants can enhance the workspace in a number of important ways. They look good but they also make people feel good.

The Plantscape Industry Alliance (PIA) is an organization of professionals who design, install and maintain plants in the interior environment. Dedicated to bringing nature indoors, we advocate the use of living plants in interior landscapes to enhance human well-being. Living plants are an aesthetic improvement to any indoor area, and function to remove air pollutants from the interior environment.

Southern Botanical Interiors in Dallas, Texas, is an interior landscaping company and a member of PIA.