Save Some Green At Your Office As A Team!

Humans respond very well to visual reinforcement.

If you want your green initiative to succeed at the office, your best bet is to create visual displays, on which staff members can see direct evidence of their efforts.

In an office environment, where money is on the line, it can help to directly connect your green initiative with the idea that money has also been saved.

If you’re an office leader, you can make visuals to demonstrate that saving one type of green usually means saving another type of green.

Here are some ideas for crafting visual displays to make an impact:

• Make a side by side chart where you show quantities of money and materials saved. For example, if your office is reducing its paper mailings, not only has it saved paper – it’s also saved the money for paper, and the money for postage. Post a bar chart where everyone can see it; indicate the specific quantities saved, and make weekly or monthly updates to show the progress of your initiative.
• Connect wellness initiatives to the environment. Staff health affects your bottom line. Sick days, medical leave, and extended absences add up to take a toll on your organization’s productivity and financial outlay. Employee wellness initiatives not only make a direct impact on employees; they can also help the environment. For example: walking to work instead of driving will boost employee fitness and cut down on emissions from heavy traffic. Create a visual display to show how many miles your employees have walked, and how many gallons of gasoline the walking has saved.
• Show the impact of food. When your employees bring a “zero-waste” lunch, plastic use is obliterated, and employees tend to bring healthier choices then they would have selected at takeout restaurants. Create a visual display to select winners of the week for most creative “zero-waste” lunches.

It only takes a little creativity to make a big impact. And when your office team works together, you can truly make a difference!