Here at Relish, we are committed to “purposeful practice” in both the product we create and the way that we implement our business ethos. One of the things about which we are most proud is our our pledge to purposeful living through environmental stewardship.
We try to bring our environmental stewardship A-game into practice each and every day at the office and with the organizations with which we partner. We believe that contributing to environmental protection is not only the right thing to do but represents a positive business practice as well. And we encourage our clients, partners, and associates to do the same.
There are lots of fairly obvious ways to go green with your business: like changing your bulbs to high-efficiency options, cutting out paper, composting/recycling, and the like. Some of the less obvious practices can really make a difference in your business’ carbon footprint. Here are a few ideas to bring a lot of juice to greening up your business.
Get creative with in-office attendance
Flex time, 4x10s, and telecommuting help reduce the amount of time your employees spend commuting to the office. The average commute time in the U.S. is about 25 minutes. Which equates to 10-15 miles for most workers each way. If you could take 10 workers off the road even one day a week, you would save 4.21 TONS of CO2 emissions per year. Wow!
Encourage alternative commuting solutions
Mass-transit, rideshare, bikes… these are all great alternatives to piling into your car solo to drive to work. Companies can get really creative (and even gamify!) alternative commuting solutions. Provide transit passes, reimburse employees who use mass transit to get to work, provide incentives for biking or ride-sharing. Make it easy for your employees to spend less time in the car. Side benefits include improved employee health and making new friends on the subway!
Infuse your culture with green thinking
Adopt a highway or pick up trash in your area, build a trail (voc.org if you are in Colorado), get outside. Get your employees thrilled about helping keep our outdoor spaces green and they are more inclined continue these types of activities in their private lives.
Finally, something that we did and encourage other businesses to join is 1% for the Planet. This organization is dedicated to helping non-profits, businesses, and individuals build effective environmental strategies. 1% helped Relish focus our giving to stretch our donations farther and welcomed us into a great community of like-minded business leaders all committed to supporting environmental causes and stewardship. In our first year of membership, we landed at least three, great projects thanks to our 1% membership.
Creating intentional practices for your business is a great way to give your business focus and help you feel motivated in the day to day. If you have questions about ways to help reduce your carbon footprint or bring environmental stewardship to your business, get in touch. We’re always happy to assist.
