This month we tackle the workplace.
Gather a couple of like-minded friends at work and give yourselves this entire month to overhaul your workplace. Here’s a few ideas to get you started …
- Energy. Find out who is supplying your energy. Is it a renewable resource? If not, can you change providers? You may need some detective work here. Implement energy-efficient lighting systems. Turn off lights and equipment when not in use.
- Procurement. Make of list of your suppliers. Are they green? If not, look elsewhere and let them why you are making the change. Develop a sustainable purchasing policy and you won’t have to go through this all again next year, and the year after! Prioritise products with minimal packaging or packaging made from recycled materials.
- Remote Work Options. Encourage telecommuting to reduce commuting-related emissions. Implement flexible work schedules to reduce the need for daily commuting.
- Printing. Take the Ethical Paper Pledge.Only purchase printing paper from an ethical source and 100% recycled. Do not use Reflex nor their offspring Opal and Nippon Papers. They still use native forests to source their paper. Rethink the need to print.
- Measure your carbon footprint. Know where you are starting from with the use of a carbon calculator. You can find some of the better ones here. Otherwise, call in a sustainability consultant.
- Water Conservation. Install water-efficient appliances and fixtures. Remind employees on water-saving practices in restrooms and kitchens. Encourage colleagues to report leaks.
- Transportation. Encourage the use of public transportation, biking, walking, or carpooling. Provide incentives for employees who use eco-friendly commuting options. Consider installing electric vehicle charging stations.
- Set targets to reduce your carbon footprint. Start small with a goal of reducing travel emissions by 5% over the next 3 years. You can also set targets that aren’t emissions-based, such as reducing energy or water use by 2% a year and paper by 20%. Set ambitious but achievable targets and report these publicly on your website to maintain momentum and accountability.
- Look at the use of disposables in your workplace. See if you can elimate items such as plastic cutlery, disposable cups, Sellotape, bubble wrap and plastic packaging. Decide if you can make reusable, sustainable swaps.
- Running events? There is a whole host of ideas to help make it a green one, including planting one tree for every attendee. You’ll find more ideas from a recent blogpost of ours here.
Remember to take your colleagues with you on this journey, ask for their input and ideas, notice when they are doing the right thing. Regularly assess and reassess sustainability initiatives for effectiveness.
Would love to hear your thoughts. And while on the journey, don’t forget to celebrate the small wins and let imperfection in!
Writer: Colleen B. Filippa
With a background in Environmental Science, Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees, a social enterprise she launched in 2009 after two decades in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Stepping out of the classroom and into climate action, Colleen created Fifteen Trees to help individuals and businesses reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community-based revegetation projects across Australia.
