3 ways a Green Team can boost sustainability

What is a green team?

Sustainability committee, green committee, green team - they all serve the same purpose: to advance your company's sustainability initiatives. A green team is a group of people who gather together because of their mutual interest in sustainability and the planet. This group seeks to educate and inspire other employees about sustainability, the benefits to the company,  and how to properly implement sustainable lifestyle choices into their professional and personal lives.

How do you form a Green Team?

1. Find a team leader who is dedicated to sustainability.
2. Create an understanding of the team’s goals.
3. Educate each other on sustainability.
4. Recruit members who are also passionate about sustainability. These members should ideally all be from different business backgrounds (finance, communications, marketing, etc.)
5. Brainstorm projects you wish to accomplish in order to better your sustainability.
6. Keep others up to date on your progress to promote your group and sustainable choices!

What Kind of Work Can a Green Team Do?

In the early stages of your green team, the biggest question is what should you tackle and prioritise? There is no one right answer as each individual and company is unique in what they need to improve in order to be more sustainable. However, below are some general improvements that can be made to sustainably improve your professional and personal life.

1. Energy

• Manage your equipment by ensuring that your computers and other devices are put to sleep when they are not needed.
• Benchmark your company’s sustainability and receive a performance rating, this allows you to have a way to track your progress.
• Activate timers or motion sensors for lights and other devices. Installing smart technology will help decrease unnecessary energy use.
• Purchase new equipment that is ENERGY STAR certified. The difference between a non-certified and certified device is dramatic, a computer that is certified uses 30-65% less electricity than other computers.

2. Travel & Meetings

• Decrease the need for excess travel. Whether this is coming in every day for work, or simply being more efficient about errands, cutting down on traveling time can help decrease emissions.
• Telecommunication can act as a good alternative to in person meetings. Virtual meetings allow for less car and plane travel as 30% of emissions are from car and plane travel.
• If a commute if necessary, renting or purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle is one of the best ways to go about traveling.

3. Waste

• Ensure that recycling bins are available to sort trash. It may be useful to have icons to further understanding of what can and can not be recycled.
• Additionally, by increasing our virtual communication we reduce paper usage and waste significantly, thus acting as a more sustainable option.
• If printing a document is necessary, attempt to print it double sided to reduce the amount of paper that is being used.
• Whether in a professional and personal setting, kitchens can be a place of simple improvements for sustainability. One of the best ways to create a sustainable kitchen is to have reusable cutlery and dishware, but if this is not possible having compostable and recyclable options is the best option.
• Replace bottled water with the idea of having a reusable water bottle. The best way to incentivise this is by having a water bottle refill station. This will cut down on plastic pollution for our earth.
• Support local, organic, and fair-trade teas and coffees. This shows dedication and support to companies who have similar sustainable missions of helping the earth.

Want to learn more? If you’re interested in reducing your environmental impact, we’d love to help you on your journey. Reach out to us at hello@dodo.eco!