Earth Day is on April 22nd this year and it’s time to start preparing your company for the upcoming celebrations. While this holiday may not receive the same fanfare as Thanksgiving or Halloween, it’s an important holiday to celebrate nonetheless. You don’t need to go all out and plant an entire orchard, but there are several simple ways your company can celebrate Earth Day in style. If your company is currently working remotely due to COVID-19, consider utilizing these tips as a planning guide instead. Many of the changes you make in celebration of Earth Day can be carried out all year long. Even if the festivities are a bit delayed and you’re not back in the office in time for Earth Day, your company can still celebrate consciously.
Create a recycling program
One of the best ways your company can celebrate Earth Day is by instituting a recycling program that can be carried out throughout the entire year. Begin by conducting a waste audit within your company. This will provide insight into the type and amount of waste your company produces regularly. From there, you can appoint a “green team” to help monitor and reduce the amount of waste your company produces.
Outfit your office space with an abundance of recycling bins and create a system for the disposal of larger office items. Consider seeking the assistance of a professional waste management and recycling service to ensure that all waste is disposed of safely and efficiently. This simple act can help reduce your company’s carbon footprint significantly.
Volunteer as a company
Volunteering as a team is a great way to make a visible difference in your community. Many non-profit organizations seek community volunteers for community-wide cleanups. Organize a group of your coworkers and volunteer your time to aid their efforts to a greener future. You can help clean up a local park, highway, or river, or can put your efforts together to help plant trees or a community garden. If you’re unable to volunteer your time, consider collecting donations for a local non-profit instead. You can also gather donations to a world-wide relief effort, such as the World Wildlife Fund or Conservation International.
Replace paper and plastic products
It may seem like an insignificant change, but reducing your company’s consumption of single-use paper and plastic products can actually help reduce your carbon footprint significantly. Replace all single-use utensils, plates, and cups with reusable utensils instead and invest in a company dishwasher to ensure that everything stays clean. Try to choose an EnergyStar model if possible, as these models utilize far less energy and water than many other brands. Consider replacing paper documents with digital files as well. This will not only reduce the amount of paper clutter in your office, but it will also limit the waste your company recycles on a daily basis.
Family Fun Gift
Send seed paper from Bloomin for families to grow a garden together while at home. They can grow into wildflowers, herbs, or vegetables. It’s a great way to get outside, be with the family, and take care of a plant and watch it grow