In light of the increasing global climate crisis, businesses that protect the environment with lean, efficient operations enjoy many benefits. The good feeling that comes with knowing you are positively contributing to the battle against climate change is most obvious among these. Less altruistically, you can promote your green strategy to existing and potential customers to help bring in more business. The important thing is to ensure you walk the walk, rather than just paying lip service through a little ‘green-washing.’ Here, we examine what we can do in our places of work to be part of the solution rather than just adding to the problem.

In the office, it is all too easy to be wasteful. After all, it does not cost your employees anything directly to use reams of paper. Placing a standard rubbish bin under every desk will only encourage landfill waste, so remove these and make clearly labelled recycling bins accessible to everyone.

Encourage your team not to print unnecessarily. Make it a competition if you have a way of recording the volume of prints per person.

Recycling should also extend beyond paper to cardboard, glass, plastic, and cans. But you need to provide the relevant resources and the motivation.

Discourage the use of individual plastic bottles by providing water coolers and issuing reusable water flasks.

If people must drive, consider ways to encourage car-sharing, perhaps with an incentive for people who save the most car journeys per month.

Set challenges relating to low power usage. This could be related to switching off lights, using low-power LED bulbs, and powering down all equipment at the end of the working day.

Ensure that the businesses you buy from are also environmentally friendly and not major polluters. Through re-evaluating your suppliers on their green track record, you should be able to reduce your own business’ carbon footprint.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced all businesses to re-evaluate their communications technology, leading to investment in better online communications. Keep using these upgrades in the future to avoid unnecessary in-person meetings that people must travel to – especially those requiring international travel.

Reducing waste and encouraging teamwork is a double win. Create a competition to see which departments can cut their carbon footprint the most. By tapping into people’s natural competitive spirit, you can drive significant changes throughout your organisation. Aim to get your people to be passionate about ethical business practices and listen to their ideas if they already are.

Ask your team which environmental issues they care about most and create a scheme to hit these goals. An annual campaign is a great way to unite teams, build morale, and encourage engagement at work. For example, the campaign could focus on banning single-use plastics or a target to recycle old clothes. Whatever you pick, aim to build enthusiasm toward your target.

Doubling up as an excellent team-building activity, litter picking is a great way to instill people with a sense of purpose, helping clean up the community in which you’re operating, and uniting your employees around a common cause. In addition, you could promote the event and get other members of the community involved.

Modern technology is far more efficient than that which was available just a few years ago. So, make sure energy performance is at the heart of your buying decisions and recycle your old equipment every time you upgrade.