Why should you consider green initiatives?

Going green initiatives are part of overall corporate social responsibility. It’s your way of showing you take accountability for your company’s social and environmental impact. How green you go depends on your starting point and your goals. It’s usually easier to start slowly and add more green initiatives once you get a few established.

The potential benefits of implementing green initiatives include:

• Positive reputation: By taking care of the environment on a business level, you set yourself up to have a better reputation within the community. This can help you attract more job applicants and gain more clients/customers.
• Alignment with employee values: If your employees are passionate about environmental protection, implementing various strategies could help strengthen their commitment to your organization. People want to work for companies that align with their values.
• Preparation for change: Legislation that governs how businesses operate can change at any time. Those changes could require businesses to make green changes to protect the environment. Implementing green strategies now means your company is already prepared if future legislation goes into effect, so you won’t have to make those changes down the road.
• Improved health: Some green strategies are also good for your employees’ health. Biking to work, working under softer LED lights and improved ventilation are a few examples.
• Reduced costs: You might save money with some of your initiatives. For example, going paperless saves you on ink, paper and printer costs.
• Financial gains: Another way you might benefit financially is with incentives, such as tax breaks, for going green. Available incentives can vary depending on your area, the improvements you make and what programs are currently in effect. You might also qualify for funding or grants for being a green business.

1. Set up recycling

Does everything currently go into one trash bin at the office? Setting up a recycling station is a simple, low-cost way to make an environmental impact. Start by analyzing your current waste system, including any recycling you already do. Research the recycling options in your area to ensure you’re recycling as much as possible.

Set up bins with separate containers for different types of recycling if you need to separate them. Find a location that’s convenient and visible to help employees remember to recycle. Make sure you have enough bins in various locations to get everyone on board.

You might also have options for specialty recycling. For example, you can often recycle printer cartridges, batteries and other items through special programs. Look at what type of trash you generate and check for special recycling programs for those items.

Some communities offer composting programs. If your company generates lots of food waste or other compostable items, consider this option.

2. Switch to recyclable or compostable supplies

Your recycling program becomes more effective if a large portion of your waste can be recycled or composted. Look for supplies made from recycled materials that can be recycled or composted. For example, you might stock your break room with compostable disposable silverware, plates and cups.

3. Convert to a paperless office

Paper is a major source of waste in many organizations. Transitioning to a paperless office can cut down significantly on how much paper you buy and throw away. It’s also easier in many cases and can cut down on lost and damaged files.

Paperless companies can improve on office organization and don’t need as much space to store files. This could mean you can operate out of a smaller office space, which requires less energy, heating and cooling, furniture and supplies.

Less paper means fewer print jobs, which can reduce your electricity use. You can easily send documents electronically, cutting down on how much mail you send, which can offer additional savings on transportation and energy use.

4. Create a remote working option

Letting your employees work remotely instead of commuting to the office every day can cut down on the emissions they contribute to the atmosphere. Not all jobs are compatible with remote work, but it’s worth considering if your employees can do the same work at home as they do in the office. If you want some face time with them, consider a hybrid schedule with a few days in the office and a few at home.

5. Reward green behaviors

You can also offer commuter benefits for employees who have to come to the office. These perks offer incentives for employees who make green changes to their commute. You might buy bus or subway passes for employees who want to take those modes of transportation. If your city is bike-friendly, consider incentives, such as financial reimbursement or free bike maintenance for employees who pedal to work. Another option is a carpool incentive program with rewards, such as preferred parking for people who carpool to work.

6. Organize green challenges

Get your staff involved in your green initiatives by organizing weekly or monthly green challenges. This can increase the impact and get your employees more excited about getting involved. Some challenges might include:

• Reduce your department’s waste.
• See how many times you can take a green mode of transportation to work.
• Cut down on your printing jobs.
• Bring your lunch in reusable containers.
• Clean up the neighborhood to see which team can collect the most trash.
• Encourage vegetarian lunches.
• Skip the elevator in favor of the stairs.

You can get employees involved in planning the challenges, too. Organize a green team that brainstorms the ideas for the challenges and advertises them to the rest of the staff.

7. Upgrade your lighting

Your office lights can use lots of electricity, depending on what type you have and how often you use them. Start by taking advantage of natural light, which is usually more appealing and easier on the eyes.

LED and CFL bulbs are two efficient options you can incorporate into your office where you need supplemental lighting. Switching to motion sensor lights can reduce leaving lights on when no one is in the room. These systems automatically turn the lights on when someone enters and shuts them off after a designated period with no movement.

8. Audit your processes and supply chain

Put together a green audit team to look at all parts of your business to find ways you can improve. If you manufacture products, you might look for ways to simplify the process, reduce water use or minimize packaging. Review your supply chain to see if you can find green vendors for parts of the process.

Collect your findings on all possible ways to improve. Then, research the options to determine which ones are feasible and will make the most impact. You can gradually work through the changes if you can’t implement them all at once.

9. Make smart buying decisions

It’s easy to get caught up in buying the latest technology and newest items for your organization. But those extra purchases mean more things in the office that require more space and will eventually end up in the landfill. Make sure you truly need any new office item before you purchase it to keep your setup minimal. When you make purchases, research the options and invest in higher-quality products that will last longer.

Holding onto items longer can also reduce how much waste you produce. Instead of replacing things every few years, keep them as long as possible. Repairing items instead of replacing them can help. When you do replace items, donate the old ones, if possible, to keep them out of the landfill.

Create a company policy for buying decisions for your company. Include criteria for when you should make a new purchase and guidelines for repairing items. You should also include procedures for how to responsibly dispose of items when you no longer need them.

10. Support environmental causes

You can also make an impact by getting involved with established environmental causes in the community. Those organizations are already doing important work for the environment, but they always need financial and volunteer support to maximize their impact.

Giving back to the community as a team with a focus on green organizations can help support your green goals and those organizations. It can also become a team-building experience and inspire your employees to find other ways to support the environment. You might choose one day a month where you all volunteer together or offer paid volunteering time for employees who want to support those organizations themselves.