The green movement dates back from the first water pollution bill signed in 1948 and started to gain more popularity thanks to the first Earth Day celebrated in 1970. During the past couple of decates, most eco-friendly efforts were made by everyday people and a handful of large corporations – but that’s now changing!
On May 14, 2019, Forbes published an article entitled ‘What’s good for the planet, is also good for business.’ Since then, many companies around the world are increasingly responding to a more sustainable way of doing business. This also came as a result of consumer demand. According to an international survey, more than 80% of consumers respect companies and brands that adopt earth-friendly pratices.
Today, sustainability is becoming a priority for businesses. Apart from the global imperative and pressing climate issues, businesses actually profit from going green; increased customer loyalty, increased sales, improved efficiency, cost savings, tax and other schemes incentives, and a healthier workplace, amongst others.
In August 2020, Reuters commissioned a survey to understand the current pulse of workplace culture. It was discovered that 83% of workers reported that they are disappointed because their workplace was not doing enough to address climate change. Almost two-thirds (65%) of survey respondents said that they were more likely to work for a company with strong environmental policies.
Following are some ideas for a company who wants to boost its image and attract responsilbe, conscious and dedicated employees.
The Green Team
The concept of a ‘Green Team’ is to identify a group of
individuals from your workforce, ideally people who already possess certain
attributes and already have the environment at heart, to help you understand
how your company can be greener and more sustainable. A group of few committed
individuals who are excited to take on such a role, who will automatically help
spread eco-awareness with the rest of the employees.
Monthly meetups of the Green Team will help them roll out new
ideas and plans to reduce your business’ environmental impact and create a greener
environment at the workplace, such as making the kitchenette and the bathrooms
more environmentally-friendly with a reduced use of plastic, and more organic
and natural products, for instance. They can also brainstorm affordable plans
to save the company money and resources whilst remaining sustainable, such as
reuse paper, keep printing to the minimum, and focus on energy and water
efficiency. Greenifying the work place with plants, is not only aesthetically
pleasing, but also helps morale and improves air quality.
One of the most eco-effective changes that you can do as a
business is reduce the waste generated from your work place. Creating recycling
stations in a visible area will motivate people to use them more efficiently. Usually,
4 containers are required for glass, metal, paper and recyclable plastic. You
can also leave smaller containers for e-waste and used batteries. The Green
Team will then be responsible of arranging for the disposal of the items
correctly with the proper entity, explain the rules to the other employees, and
monitor the system.
Other activities that the Green Team can organise are Meatless
Mondays, or a swap of second-hand items between employees – such as garments,
accessories, books or children’s toys. Alternatively, they can host a
fund-raising event and donate the funds to an environmental organisation. By
leveraging social media, the good use of hashtags, and keeping it fun, online
fund-raisers can be truly impactful.
Mobility programmes, such as car pooling or bike-to-work, are
generally very well received by employees and have an immediate benefit. There
are other initiatives that seem simple and doable with minimum effort, such as
switching to chemical-free and eco-friendly cleaning products for the work
place, or making a list of caterers who use sustainable packaging for staff
meals and parties. Your Green Team can ensure that meetings and conferences are
planned with sustainability in mind, suggesting alternatives to plastic water
bottles, for instance, and choosing organic and fair-trade coffee brands.
Christmas gifts can be well-thought to promote the Company’s
sustainability mission. If you have a remote workforce, you can opt to send
care packages to their homes, with reusable and zero waste alternatives to
everyday consumables. Check out these âž¡ Corporate Eco Gift Boxes.
Educational activities are a great way to raise awareness and get
people invested in a cause. You could invite an expert on sustainable
development to conduct a talk or a workshop for your employees. Environmental
CSR outdoor activities serve as a rewarding and needed break from office
routine. There are many great ideas… tree-planting, beach clean-ups, organic
farm tours, etc. If you do not have the resources to organise these activities,
you can refer to an Event Organiser, or ‘lend’ your employees as volunteers to
an activity organised by someone else.
A passionate and driven work force has the potential of
transforming the company’s culture and create a reputation for your business
that both employees and customers will be proud of. To get both employees and
customers involved in your mission, you can create a pledge supporting the environment
and invite them to sign it. This will inspire long-term commitment.
Millennial employees want to feel that their work matters and they
are keen to work with companies they feel can make a difference. Therefore, a
Company with a sustainable mission benefit from employee engagement and
retainment. Likewise, modern consumers are willing to support and remain loyal
to brands that show serious environmental responsibility.
Whether you combine a few of the above ideas or stick to something
simple, make sure that your Green Team is engaged, but also regarded and
considered. They will help you bolster a culture of sustainability in the
workplace which will undoubtedly result in numerous benefits and ultimately,
increased profits for the Company. This is achievable if the efforts really change
how the organisation operates, alongside genuine environmental commitment.
