Now that you’ve had a chance to take a look around the office, you’ve probably reconciled with the fact that your work environment could use some sprucing up. Obviously, plants do a great job of beautifying indoor spaces. However, when you begin having plants added to your office, you’ll also be improving the condition of something you can’t see at all—the air.
More specifically, plants absorb air pollutants called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. In many ways, we’ve grown accustomed to living among these harmful VOCs, which have been linked with illnesses, from asthma and nausea to a plethora of more serious issues, including cancer. They come from a wide range of indoor objects including paint, furniture, clothing, solvents and building materials.
As we spend more and more of our time indoors, the staggeringly high levels of VOCs in indoor spaces compared with the outdoors should be a major cause for concern. It’s not just the employees that will suffer from exposure to VOCs. The company as a whole will be affected as employees need more time off to recover from being sick.
In addition, exposure to VOCs has a constant negative effect on productivity in the workplace. That’s because VOCs have been shown to harm psychological health as well. Your employees could be more stressed and less focused because of the harmful air they’re breathing.
Indoor plants, by way of “phytoremediation”, can work constantly to clean the air. Studies have shown that introducing ornamental plants into an environment effectively reduces harmful VOC levels, including a reduction in benzene and formaldehyde, two of the most common culprits.
You’ve already realized how much better your office could look in the New Year with better interior landscaping. Now, add cleaner office air to your list of resolutions. Contact Foliage Designs today for expert professional advice that can lead to your employees being healthier, happier, and more productive.
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