Four Environmentally-Friendly Ways to Promote Team Building

Is your team in a slump? Try these four effective green strategies to boost morale, promote team building, and do something good for the environment!

1. Local Park Cleanup

Spend an afternoon away from your computers and in the fresh air by organizing a trash pickup at your closest park or lake shore. Divide the office into different teams, and whichever team picks up the most trash (by volume or weight) wins a prize. These can include reusable company-branded water bottles or grocery bags. To find out which areas near your office need cleanup, contact the National Park Service or your local Parks & Recreation Department.

2. Recycling Drives

Host a week-long recycling drive in your office that enables your staff to drop off hard-to-recycle items such as e-waste (computers, old phones) and batteries. For an incentive, consider allowing your team to dress more casually if they bring in something recyclable, or provide local treats! Be sure to set a good example by continuing to donate and/or recycle your company’s e-waste as well.

3. Lunch and Learns

Who doesn’t love a free lunch? Provide a green learning opportunity for your staff by bringing in a local expert to talk about the importance of recycling, how to recycle (since it often varies by municipality), and answer questions. This is also a great opportunity to discuss your company’s recycling policy (i.e., where the recycling bins are located), and solicit ideas from all staff for additional recycling initiatives.

4. Digital Swap Meet

Encourage your staff to find new homes for their gently used goods instead of throwing them away. Rather than filling the office with these items, consider creating an online “marketplace” or chat room within your intra-office web server. If that’s not an option, dedicate a bulletin board in the lunch room for staff to post their wares.

With these four steps, your team will not only feel more connected, but they will feel good about their environmental contributions. Are you looking to further promote your company’s green thumb? Check out these ways to implement company-wide eco-initiatives.