Your business values service and profit, but it also has a responsibility to the environment. Learn how to make going green part of company culture so that the planet can succeed, too.
Start With the Commute
Challenge employees to make better choices every morning with more environmentally friendly ways to get to work. Help organize car pools by region to save gas and promote teamwork in going green. Encourage healthier efforts like bicycling and walking. Provide information about public transportation as well as incentives to purchase electric vehicles. Even small adjustments make a difference, so praise all efforts.
Set Goals
“Doing better” doesn’t mean much without metrics to gauge progress. Research all areas where you can responsibly improve, and prioritize a few for your initial efforts. Create a timeline with markers on the way to a concrete goal, such as, “Use 100 percent renewable energy by 2025,” or, “Decrease water usage by 50 percent over three years.” Be realistic about goals you can achieve, even if it means starting small and building from there. Display large scorecards to celebrate your momentum.
Give Employees Ownership
Not every environmental improvement needs to be a product of company involvement. Give employees opportunities to share how they live more sustainably at home, and empower them to begin initiatives like volunteering with community groups and reducing dependence on plastics. Make your green efforts part of every meeting agenda, with updates, results, and suggestions. If everyone can choose how they want to contribute, they’ll be more dedicated to their projects.
Involve Customers
Set an example by being open about your new, sustainable mindset, and share with clients how these improvements can benefit them. Eco-friendly methods often save money, which means maximizing profits. Everyone can feel better about what they do when they’re a more valuable part of the global community. Employees take more pride in their company and will have greater job satisfaction if their work is meaningful. Along with generating environmental awareness, your organization will be creating positive public relations and a chain reaction for the planet.
Recycle Responsibly
Equipment doesn’t disappear once it’s outlived its usefulness, and not everything goes in the trash. Educate workers that there’s an ethical way to dispose of everything. Expand recycling efforts to more products, even organizing ways for employees to pass on outgrown clothing and putting out bins for used batteries. Post signs above separated recycling containers specifying what goes where—and even why. Clean out storerooms with outmoded equipment, and contract with a company like Evergreen IT Solutions if you need commercial electronics recycling in San Jose.
As businesses become more computerized, more opportunities exist to recycle computers, laptops, IT equipment, hard drives, circuit boards, monitors, and more. Contact Evergreen IT Solutions to find out more about how to make going green part of your company’s culture. Learn how you can responsibly dispose of hardware and data and reduce your carbon footprint.
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