Whether you want to get employees on board or want to make a difference through your business, here are some strategies for employee engagement for sustainability.
1. Establish clear goals
Having a vision for sustainability in the workplace can guide all employees and help you track and measure your success. In building these goals, include your employees in the process so they have a voice and feel like they have influence in your sustainability actions. Make sure to think about how to measure this goal and how you can achieve this, whether it’s your carbon footprint, emissions or even plastic use.
2. Educate and empower through collaboration
Sustainable actions aren’t just through doing, but through learning. Include education on topics in your workplace so that employees can feel a part of your organisation’s sustainability strategy. This will build not only training sessions but also relationships in the workplace as you’re all working together towards this goal. You can also make it a competition, giving employees rewards and recognition and even empower others to take sustainable actions outside of the office in their everyday lives.
3. Choose a sustainable water dispenser
Water is an important part of our everyday lives, and also promotes productivity in the workplace. So why not provide water sustainability to tick both boxes? When we think of a water dispenser, we tend to think about bottled ones, which are bad for the environment. They use a lot of energy, not to mention single-use plastic bottles, which will leave a hole in the planet’s ozone layer, let alone your pocket.
At BRITA, we have sustainable mains-fed water dispensers, meaning it’s plumbed into your water supply, eliminating those pesky plastics. This endless supply of water passes through a filtration process, giving your employees safe, clean and sustainable water. Great for productivity and great for the planet! Also, choosing a cold and hot water dispenser means you save energy on making brew rounds as it produces fewer emissions than using a kettle.
4. Integrate sustainability into the workplace
To inspire employees to choose more eco-friendly options, be the lead they need. Reduce plastic use by supplying reusable water bottles. Save on waste by printing less or choose recycled paper if needed. Optimise your energy by installing LED lights and motion sensors, or even look at how you can choose more sustainable machines in your workplace, such as energy-saving laptops, printers, etc. Or what about if your employees are working from home? Think about car sharing, public transport, cycle-to-work schemes, or even providing eco-conscious remote setups.
As part of your commitment to sustainability, consider sustainable hiring practices such as emphasising your company’s values and actions in job descriptions, virtual interviews to reduce travel emissions or sustainable onboarding processes such as training and assessments.
5. Make sustainability part of the company culture
Sustainability isn’t just about what you say or the measurable reductions in your footprint—it’s about your values and beliefs. To truly make a difference, sustainability must become ingrained in your culture and extend beyond mere numbers or goals.
Donate to charities making a difference in the world, raise money and attend events dedicated to sustainability. Partake in days such as Global Recycling Day and World Clean Up Day or support eco-friendly organisations. Buy goods from local shops or those that are more eco-conscious in their products. Encourage employees and even customers to make a difference outside of your organisation. This promotes employee engagement in sustainability, strengthens team dynamics, and builds a shared purpose.
