Sustainability in the SuitePad Office

Let’s start with beverage consumption. Not so long ago, there used to be stacks of boxes and crates with returnable bottles in the kitchen. You see in Germany, there’s a bottle return system in place, called “Pfand”, whereby you pay a deposit on bottles and then return the emptied bottle to get your money back. But, this not only took up a lot of space, it was also expensive and required multiple trips by the delivery service. These Pfand bottles were later replaced with a water dispenser that filters the office’s tap water and comes in a variety of temperatures as well as a sparkling option. Every employee was given a glass bottle that they could clean and refill.

Another step was the minor renovations in the SuitePad office. In order to save space, the kitchen was redesigned and furnished - although not with new furniture, but with old pallets and wooden crates that would otherwise have to be bought. Furthermore, various small pieces of furniture were purchased from a hotel's clearance sale. This not only saves money, but it also contributes to environmental sustainability: instead of buying new furniture, old ones are reused and don’t end up in the landfill.

What every office should do

Waste sorting is a key issue in regular office life, yet it is often overlooked either unintentionally or because no one actually knows how to do it correctly. As a result, many items wind up in a jumbled mess in the trash. Hence, it is critical not only to supply an adequate number of trash cans, but also to teach employees about correct waste sorting, because it’s different in every country. And SuitePad hires a good number of international employees so it’s all the more important for the company. "The workplace should not only be an office; everyone should feel comfortable," Katharina highlights. It is critical to design the workplace in such a way that it creates a comfortable working environment for all employees.

Small steps and the courage to change

In conclusion, Katharina makes it clear that making such small changes doesn’t need a significant budget. Even if you have limited resources, your goals can still be reached. There is always room for improvement, and this is exactly how businesses should think if they want to act more sustainably. "No company is perfect, but the willingness to change and the courage to implement it is what matters," explains Katharina.

The employees have accepted the changes positively, reports the office manager. Everyone is happy about the redesigns that have taken place in the office.

Sustainability is reflected not only in the SuitePad office, but it is also part of the company's philosophy. SuitePad's solutions aim to digitize a part of the hotel guest experience in order to save on paper costs and reduce its use. In addition, SuitePad tablets feature the "Green Option," a function that allows hotel guests to skip room cleaning. Thus, hotels reduce the use of water and cleaning agents. Through the Green Option, hotel guests and the hotel can actively choose to have a positive impact on the environment.