Why indoor plants are a necessity

Indoor plants can certainly make our interior space look stunning, but is that the only benefit indoor plants provide?

The common perception is that indoor plants are a luxury, a nice to have but not a necessity.

Thanks to the Indoor Plants Work's study conducted by The University of Technology Sydney (UTS), here are 5 key reasons why indoor plants should be seen as a necessity:

The amount of time we spend indoors is incredible…

In New Zealand, 80% of us live in urban areas where we spend 90% of our time indoors.

When indoors, sources that we believe drive productivity (i.e. furniture, computers, printers, plastics) actually emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs lead to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and actually hinder our productivity and affect our health as a result. That's what Steve Carell believes anyway!

A UTS office study found that 3 to 6 plants per office keeps VOC levels much lower than the recommended maximum VOC level (see below infographic).

Indoor plants promote health and wellbeing

Plants not only look great, but also promote health and wellbeing.

International research shows indoor plants reduce:

• Sick-leave by 20% to up to 60%
• Coughing and wheezing by 35%
• Dry eyes, nose and throat by 20%
• Perceptions of pain by 25%

And not to mention,

• Lowered tension levels, using EEG, EMG, blood pressure readings.
• Survey questionnaires probing stress and/or negativity.

Imagine a workplace where you don't always feel you're about to get sick and can focus on your tasks (your bottom line will benefit)!

Indoor plants leave a positive and lasting impression on your clients

We work so hard every single day to ensure we leave a positive and lasting impression of our business. Indoor plants play a key role in enabling memorable, positive impressions.

According to the UTS study, surveys show that plants give the perception that a company is:

• Trustworthy
• Warm and welcoming
• Stable and balanced
• Well-run
• Patient and caring
• Concerned for staff wellbeing
• Provider of a healthier, cleaner atmosphere

Potential employees interview the building

Yes, we focus a lot on making sure we leave a positive and memorable impression on our clients and customers, but what about potential employees?

The environment we work in is very important to how we feel and perform. If current employees aren't too impressed, there is a good chance potential employees won't  be either and this can affect the impression we leave on people.Indoor plants capture attention and give the perception of a caring, welcoming company! Keeping your employees happy and healthy plays a key role in building your bottom line.

Presence of indoor plants increases productivity by over 10%

We previously mentioned that indoor plants enable wellbeing, but what impact does this have on productivity?

Research shows that indoor plant presence increases productivity, performance and job satisfaction by over 10%, measured by:

• Faster time to complete computer tasks
• Creative task performance
• Improvements in sorting and editing tasks
• Improved attention capacity
• Job satisfaction and good office relationships

Indoor plants are a win-win-win for people, profits and the planet, the triple bottom line.