Partha Neog makes out the case for environmentally sustainable offices

Corporate sustainability has become increasingly significant over the last few years. Lately, it has been observed that employees, especially from the millennial workforce, look out for companies focussed on environmentally sustainable practises and programmes. These programmes are crucial in building a positive brand image, retaining top talent, and driving profit for any organisation. Employers and leaders will be surprised to notice the sincerity and mindfulness of the workforce in perfecting sustainability initiatives. Moreover, involving employees in such practises leads to a more engaged and motivated workforce.

Sustainable practises for the workplace

Some simple but effective everyday practises add to building a sustainable workplace in the long run. Here are some steps that you can adopt:

• Keep recycling bins around the workplace as a part of a recycling programme.
• Go paperless. Opt for electronic files, cloud storage, and cloud-based collaboration options.
• Switch to motion-activated lights that turn off automatically when no one is in the room.
• Replace disposable utensils with reusable ones.
• Ask employees to keep computers and laptops in sleep mode to save energy.

The practises mentioned above take little effort but go on to produce tangible, long-term results.

As one of the most populous countries, with a huge consumer base for any thriving business, India’s role in sustainability cannot be undermined and many businesses and organisations are rising to the challenge already. They are doing so by integrating the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their business strategies. Such mindful strategies will drastically ease the environmental costs resulting from the patterns in production, consumption, resource, and energy usage of a company.

It is high time for all businesses to be conscious about their environmental footprint. Employers and leaders must innovate ways to transform their organisation into an eco-friendly and sustainable one. Many top companies have already started their journey in achieving environmental sustainability. If MNCs can implement sustainable policies at work, small and medium businesses will follow in their footsteps. Listed below are a few practical and effective sustainable practises that should be employed in every workplace.

Introduce and implement a recycling programme

Recycling programmes in the workplace will give a head start to employees on their journey to sustainability. These programmes enable employees to learn about adequate waste disposal and the recycling process. There should be accurate signage for disposing of degradable, non-degradable, and recyclable waste.

Asking employees to recycle discarded paper or reuse the paper for photocopies can ensure optimal use of resources while generating minimum waste. Another way to go about this initiative is by using refillable pens only. These small steps have a rather positive impact on the waste management of the company.

Encourage employees to cycle to work

In a pre-Covid world, using public transportation could significantly contribute towards reducing CO2 emissions. Now, public transportation is out of the question due to the ongoing pandemic. But, if we were to talk about alternatives, employees can use eco-friendly modes of transport like cycles and e-bikes. Cycling to work reduces the carbon footprint and helps employees stay fit while increasing their savings.

Our organisation has always encouraged employees to cycle or even walk to work. We started this initiative as a sustainable practise on World Environment Day, 2018. Even after the nationwide lockdown eased last year, many employees continued cycling to work. The employees have often talked about the benefits of this initiative — right from saving up on petrol to seeing a positive change in their body and mindset.

These positives can be used to create a reward system for the employees. Using an AI-powered corporate wellness solution in the form of a mobile application, weekly targets can be set for employees. The app can be designed to help employees achieve health and wellness through various activities and fitness challenges. Whenever employees reach their targets, these can be incentivised with redeemable rewards.

Recognising their effort helps motivate them and all corporate leaders should try something along similar lines. The results would not disappoint them.

Install eco-friendly lighting in the workplace

After conducting an employee survey sometime in May 2019, we switched to eco-friendly lighting to further enhanced our green practises.

Something as simple as changing a light bulb can have a considerable environmental impact. LED lights are also easier on the surroundings. Moreover, they produce far less toxic gases and use 75 per cent less energy as well.

Switch to PCW paper

The paper industry generates huge amounts of waste every year. Sadly, paper also happens to be the one stationery item corporate offices use a lot. Here’s another finding — Post-consumer waste or PCW paper is known to use 45 per cent less energy.

So switching to PCW paper or recycled paper will drastically reduce waste generation.This is a common practise in our company and employees are more than happy to be active contributors in reducing waste generation as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Encourage employees to volunteer in community environmental drives

Companies can either participate in or host environmental drives from time to time. Community participation and involvement are crucial to bringing about large-scale changes locally. These eco-friendly drives and programmes can be anything from cleaning up the locality to planting a few dozen saplings around the neighbourhood. Participating in such drives makes employees feel engaged and proud of the organisation they work in and the values it stands for.

Use solar energy

Using solar energy at workplaces and organisations can do wonders. This form of energy is not only cleaner than others but is also inexhaustible.

Implementing this solution speaks volumes about a company’s stance on sustainability and green practises. Installing solar panels will directly reflect an organisation’s commitment to achieving sustainability in the workplace.

Organise employee awareness programmes

Employee awareness programmes should be a regular occurrence. Aware employees will become mindful employees who are conscious of the environmental impacts of their actions in their daily lives.

Hosting environmental awareness programmes, recommending educational documentaries can educate the employees and make them aware of the need for being extremely responsible about their actions and life choices. Moreover, they are more engaged in creating an eco-friendly and green workplace, ending up with a sense of satisfaction.

Keep indoor plants around the workspace

Indoor plants are known to reduce 87 per cent of indoor pollutants within 24 hours. It is recommended for all employers to invest in quite a few indoor plants for the workspace as this also eases anxiety to a great extent.

Time for mindful action!

Creating an eco-conscious workforce has become a top priority for corporations around the world. Such actions not only create a green and sustainable workplace but also drive business growth and profit. Research shows that 77 per cent of consumers want brands to be sustainable and environmentally responsible while 57 per cent are willing to change their purchasing habits to reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Building sustainable practises in the workplace is all about taking those seemingly tiny but meaningful steps on the ground level. Employers need to recognise the beauty and power of an eco-friendly workplace and take initiatives to achieve the same every day of the year.

(The author is co-founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement solutions company.)