It’s not enough to make your home and consumer habits green. You’ll want to extend your efforts to your work life, too. That way, what you do for a living aligns with your values in an authentic way. By taking the steps necessary to make your workplace healthy and green, you’re detoxifying an environment that you spend a great deal of time in and making it happier and more earth-positive in the process.
Start with One Suggestion and Then Add Another Soon After
There are many suggestions that would help you green your workplace. Today, we’ll focus on ten so you don’t get overwhelmed. When taking on a new project or introducing a new idea, it’s very important to start small and work your way up to making bigger changes. The ideas listed here are easy enough that a beginner can do them without real effort.
Pick and choose what feels right to you. The point is to take action immediately. Without momentum, it’s hard to set change in motion. To see real progress from your efforts, you must be brave enough to start. Once people in your workplace see what you’ve done and how it benefits them, they’ll be onboard, too, making your job even easier.
Suggestions for an Eco-Friendly Place to Work
Here is how to make your workplace greener in ten easy ways:
-
Raise awareness about the planet and its many challenges. Among the best and easiest ways to get people onboard with you is by making them aware of the need for environmentalism. Explaining how the earth is in peril and why it’s important to address the need for eco-friendly practices is a necessity. It helps others to see how their consumption habits affect the planet and its inhabitants.
-
Ban single-use items. Explore the impact of disposable items. Refuse to stock them or use them in the workplace. Research better solutions that are reusable, recyclable or biodegradable. That way, less waste is created on a company-level.
-
Support companies who supply goods and services that are environmentally-friendly. Make your money count. Whom you choose to buy from is a vote for the planet. By choosing companies that share your values, you’re helping further their vision and also maintain their sustainability in a competitive marketplace. If you want to make a real difference, learn about the business and manufacturing practices of the companies you support as a business.
-
Set up a bike rack for people who want to pedal to work. Give people an incentive to park their cars and ride instead. A bike rack at work allows employees and customers to safely stow their bicycles during their shift or while they shop. Keep it in a prominent location where people can access it easily.
-
Offer incentives for workers who reduce the amount of waste they produce at work. People love being rewarded. Set up some type of incentive for workers who continue to make a difference by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Give them the recognition that they deserve so that you inspire other employees to do the same while they’re at work.
-
Choose biodegradable cups, plates, and cutlery as well as cloth napkins for breakrooms and catered events. If eating together is something that you do as a workplace thanks to celebrations and communal breakrooms, do your part to remove disposable items from the area. People will take the time necessary to property wash or recycle the forks, spoons, and cups that they’ve used while eating.
-
Reduce the amount of printer ink and paper used. Instead, send electronic communications as often as possible. Keep handbooks and manuals online in digital form for people to review. Invest in cloud storage services so that your employees and customers always have access to the information that they need without being required to print it out to review it.
-
Set up bins for recyclables. Give people the option to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Make it easy for them by clearly labeling bins with the types of recyclables your community accepts. Place the containers in high-traffic areas of the workplace so that people can insert their recyclables as they pass by. Because it is so effortless, they won’t have any issue
-
Give all new employees a refillable water bottle to use at work. They’ll be responsible for their own consumption habits that way. Instead of relying on single-use bottles and cups, they’ll make it a point to utilize their triple-insulated water bottle instead. It keeps beverages hot or cold for hours at a time. Best of all it comes in a variety of colors and lid styles to meet the needs of each person you work with.
-
Make rewards sustainable. If you’re in charge of setting up an incentive program in the workplace, opt to make it as sustainable as possible. That way, you’re not faced with the difficult task of cleaning up after a party or event that wasn’t eco-friendly. Being on trash patrol is no good. Instead, introduce new, sustainable practices into the rewards program for best results.
Being green doesn’t need to be a drag. It’s not a punishment or something for ‘hippies’. It’s an honor and privilege for everyone to take responsibility for how they show up in the world. By taking the time to change your workplace environment, you’re extending your green lifestyle to the company you work for and the people you work with every day. Through a collective effort, you’re able to do even more good for the planet which is very exciting, indeed!
Ignite Change in the Workplace One Amazing Step at a Time
It doesn’t matter where you work. You can take a greener approach no matter what your job title or profession might be. The suggestions listed above make it easy for you to identify problem areas in your workplace, come up with eco-friendly solutions to solve them, and put a plan into play that works for you, your supervisors and co-workers, and the customers you serve if you’re in the retail, restaurant or hospitality business.
