When Earth Day rolls around, you may take a look at your organization and feel that you're coming up short in terms of reducing your environmental impact. If you're not completely off the grid (and particularly if, like us, you depend on travel to meet with clients and get your work done), you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work to do to be "green enough" and the difficulty of making it happen.
That's why, this Earth Day, we've put together a brief but impactful list of things you can do to have a positive impact on the environment. Even if your organization doesn't have the capital to be energy independent at the moment, there are a few small things you can start doing this week to make a difference.
1. Give donations instead of creating swag when possible.
If you've been to a conference, you know that company booths are full of fun but relatively useless swag, from plush stuffed animals to keychains. We love our Nordic-branded items, but when it feels like clients will be overloaded with items that won't fit in their suitcase, we usually opt to donate to a cause in their name rather than ply them with physical gifts.
Our philosophy is: If the swag is truly useful and unique, then go for it. But if it'll end up tossed in the trash (and then into a landfill) in the next few days, it's better for the environment and the world at large to donate the money to a charitable organization. If you want to go the extra mile, donate to an organization like Keep America Beautiful whose mission is to protect the local environment.
2. Create a culture that encourages green transportation.
If you want to reduce your company's carbon footprint, you can start with the way your employees get to and from work. Of course, it helps to be located (as Nordic is) in the downtown area of a city, where it's easy to walk, bike, or take public transportation to work.
But even if you're located a few miles away from downtown, you can create a culture of green transportation by making it easy for people to store their bikes at work and encouraging leadership to set an example by biking as well. At Nordic, we have a summer challenge where employees compete against each other for the most miles biked over several months, which goes a long way in keeping our people active and reducing our carbon emissions.
3. Make it easy to recycle and compost in your office.
Recycling is a pretty standard practices in many offices, so we recommend going the extra mile and making it as easy as possible for people to recycle and and also compost.
Make sure that every conference room, work space, and cubicle area is equipped with recycling bins, and be sure to include signage in the break rooms that clarify which items belong in recycling and composting versus in the trash. This is a small but mighty opportunity to educate your staff and build long-term recycling habits.
4. Support an environmental organization with your company's CSR efforts.
Your organization likely gives back to the local community in numerous ways, whether it's through youth education, care for the elderly, or activities to help your homeless population. To go a step further for the environment, focus some of your efforts on an organization that protects your local natural areas and waterways.
Nordic's home office is in Madison, so we have historically chosen to partner with organizations that protect Madison's five lakes. Our team feels great about contributing to the beauty of our city, and we do our part to ensure that the lakes will be a protected resource for years to come.
5. Choose sustainable supplies whenever possible.
Every day, your company probably goes through many supplies that most of your employees don't even think about, from coffee packets to cleaning solution to toilet paper. To maximize your environmental impact without breaking the bank, swap out your existing supplies for a more sustainable option. For example, Nordic uses Seventh Generation cleaning products to keep our office tidy, which are made with plant-based formulas and guaranteed free of dyes and artificial brighteners.
We also use sustainable fabrics for our custom Nordic backpacks, which are given to every employee when they join our team. And every employee is also given a Nordic-branded water bottle and coffee thermos, which we hope helps them cut down on the use of disposable water bottles and Styrofoam coffee cups.