If you’ve been watching the news over the last several years, you’ve likely seen a big emphasis on climate change and the changes we need to make so the planet can continue to thrive for years to come. As time goes on, more people are joining the fight, and many corporations are also making positive changes to help the environment. Your business can do the same.
However, it’s more than just placing a recycling bin in the kitchen or going paperless. While changes like those are a good start, you and your management team need to work on creating a full-scale sustainable workplace culture. Doing so will involve getting the employees involved in eliminating waste and helping the outside community. By working towards sustainability, you’ll help the world and make your business more valuable. Here are some tips and insights to get you started.
What Is A Sustainable Culture?
Having a positive culture at your workplace is essential. When everyone on your team is on the same page, they’ll be happier and more productive and feel like they’re part of something bigger. Employees who feel valued, are happier, and genuinely believe that they’re making a difference will be more engaged in their work, and so your company has the chance to thrive.
Employees need to feel appreciated, and like they’re a meaningful part of a team. While knowing their work is important is one thing, if they also see that they work for a company that wants to improve the world, they’ll likely be thrilled to walk through those doors every day.
A sustainable workplace culture is one of shared goals: to eliminate waste, consume less, and help the surrounding community. Many companies strive to create a sustainable culture but fail because they don’t go all-in. Your sustainability goals should be a part of your mission statement, and your team should strive to hit them daily.
Why Is It So Important For Your Business?
There are various benefits to fostering a sustainable workplace culture and sticking with it through the long term. In addition to having employees who are more dedicated to the success of your business, you may also find that you have an easier time recruiting new talent.
Young people have grown up learning about climate change, so many want to be a part of the solution. In fact, when asked, 75% of millennials said they would take a pay cut if they could work for a socially responsible company. That’s a chunk of the potential talent pool you don’t want to ignore.
Then, there’s the customers. One way that people feel they can make a difference for the environment is to shop at businesses that prioritize sustainability. Many consumers actively search for sustainable goods, and if they have to choose between you and a company that doesn’t seem to take a stance, their choice may be easy. That’s why, once your business is dedicated to a sustainable culture, you should post that pledge on your website so customers can take notice.
How You Can Start Being Sustainable Today
Once your management team decides to prioritize a sustainable culture, it’s time to get to work. You can make many changes around the office that may seem simple but can make a big difference. Every time you make a change, inform your team of the sustainable reasons behind it so they can appreciate what you’re doing to help the planet, and they can follow in your footsteps.
Conserve Energy
A big one is to conserve energy within the office. At the end of the day, ensure that all lights, computers, and unnecessary electronics are turned off. Even better, if you have the option, set employee desks closer to windows so they can use the natural light to see their work during the day without having to turn the lights on at all.
The best option may be to go with a smart thermostat that you can set for different temperatures throughout the day. You can raise or lower the temperature based on whether employees are or aren’t in the office to maximize your energy usage.
Clean The Air
Next, you can make your office go green by bringing in plants that will beautify the space and boost oxygen levels. Keep the clean energy going by swapping out all harmful cleaning products for those that are considered eco-friendly. Most cleaning products aren’t biodegradable and have ingredients that can be toxic to humans, so eliminate them.
Eliminate Waste
Finally, go throughout the office and reduce all potential waste. That includes eliminating disposable coffee cups and plasticware in the lunchroom. Instead, hand out reusable coffee mugs or tumblers and add washable silverware that can be reused repeatedly.
Another way to eliminate waste is to think about how to maximize the use of your inventory and electronics. Instead of throwing out unused or outdated inventory, you can try to donate or repurpose it. Think about what can be given to organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army so that someone else can use it instead of being discarded and contributing to growing landfills nationwide.
As you go around the office, consider equipment longevity best practices. In other words, how can you keep your office equipment working for longer so you’re not throwing it out so quickly and constantly buying new machines that will go out just as fast?
For starters, prioritize preventative maintenance. Have a technician regularly inspect your printers and copy machines and repair worn-out parts so they last longer. Employees can also be tasked with regularly cleaning devices and reporting if they see wear and tear. Finally, install all software patches to keep your current equipment updated with the times.
Get The Team Involved
The other way to keep your eco-friendly momentum going is to continuously get your employees involved, and there are many ways to do so.
Part of an authentic, sustainable workplace culture is continued education. Management should arrange regularly scheduled workshops and online courses or bring in experts to talk about what every person can do to maintain the health of the planet. These courses can be a real inspiration to your teams.
Another way to inspire your teams and put your company in a great light is to incentivize volunteer work in the community. Allow your staff the option to stay on the clock while they go out and volunteer for sustainability-related causes, like planting trees or growing a community garden. Your company could also match your employees’ donations to environmental nonprofits.
Conclusion
The main point here is that building a sustainable workplace culture is one of the best things your company can do for your reputation and the betterment of the planet. There are many ways to create this culture, and they all show the world how much you care. Your employees will love it, and as a bonus, your customers will show their appreciation with their wallets.
⸻ Author Bio ⸻
Sam Bowman enjoys writing about people, tech, business, and how they merge. He enjoys getting to utilize the internet for the community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time, he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore.
