5 Subtle Ways to Get Your Employees to Become More Eco-Conscious

Julie Starr • March 4, 2022



It’s always the right move to try to become more sustainable, and it’s even better when you’re bringing a whole team with you on this journey. There’s this idea that in order to be sustainable and eco-friendly, you need to spend lots of money. But in actuality, it’s further from the case. In fact, the less you spend tends to be better. So there’s no need to worry about bringing this into the company budget. 

Being eco-friendly is a company effort, so everyone on the whole team should try to get involved in this. But how can it be done without forcing lifestyle choices onto your employees? These are some subtle ways to get your co-workers to be more eco-conscious at work, and who knows, this may spill into their personal life.

Begin by turning off electronics and lights that are not in use

This is one of the smaller steps that people will begin to pick up on. Most likely, people already turn off lights at home when they’re exiting a room. They may turn off electronics that they’re not using. So this can easily bleed through into professional life. Just begin doing it, and people will start to pick up on it.  Just know that this doesn’t have to include everything such as computers, your key lock box , or anything else that has high importance.

Try to lay off the thermostat

A great way to make environmentally-friendly changes for your building can include laying off the thermostat. This includes both the heat and cool air.  This doesn’t mean your employees should go to work in a hot or freezing environment. There are usually eco-settings for some of these devices. Just look into the settings. Maybe having the heat or AC kick on at a certain temperature could drastically change how much money and energy your business saves.

Go paperless

Does everything really need to be printed? Most likely, it doesn’t. While it’s okay to still have the printer or copy machine at the office, maybe try to look into Adobe as an option for filling out and signing documents. Let your employees know about this convenient method of signing documents. There are plenty of benefits to digital files. This not only reduces the paper around the office, but it cuts the clutter, and it’s very easy to access digital files from a computer or mobile device.

Encourage employees to bring their food to work

If you’re able to get rid of the vending machines in your workplace, this is one great way to cut down on plastic. But another thing can include encouraging employees to pack their lunch rather than driving to a nearby restaurant to get it. This wastes gas, energy, and then there is going to be potential food waste and other waste from the packing materials as well.  Bringing food to work saves a lot of money but it also helps the environment.

Get some plants

Plants are one of those eco-friendly decorative accents that will never go out of fashion. They boost air quality, and they look fabulous anywhere! There’s something about being surrounded in green that just makes you think of nature. 

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