In today’s world, people expect sustainability from businesses. However, making a business more sustainable isn’t easy. It involves everyone, from new hires to the executives. Getting co-workers motivated can be easier said than done. Here are a few ways we recommend getting your co-workers on board with sustainability initiatives. 

Start from the top down

Want your staff to make sustainability a habit? Leadership has to model that and prioritize that first. Executives, board members, and upper management should create an environment within the company that encourages its employees to think, act, and work sustainably. By promoting sustainability as a critical part of the brand, you’re also likely to hire new employees who also gravitate toward sustainable practices. 

Make it easy

If a program is difficult to follow, you’re less likely to get buy-in from people who are already busy working 40+ hours a week at your business. Start with simple everyday tasks, like reducing energy consumption and paper use, then move on to rolling out initiatives like office recycling programs and annual team park cleanups. 

Give it meaning

Make sustainability part of your company’s long-term plans. We know that businesses can benefit in many ways from being more sustainable, from a better reputation to a decreased environmental impact and even a better bottom line. Talk to your co-workers about the long-term goals of building a more sustainable business. 

Provide education

Everyone knows they need to recycle, but do they know what can and cannot be recycled? In what other ways can co-workers help make the company more sustainable? Informing your co-workers about the many ways they can work more sustainably is an important step in getting them engaged in sustainability practices. 

Create a plan together

Work with your co-workers and leadership to craft a sustainability plan that makes sense for everyone involved. Make it easy to stick to, and where possible, make it fun! If your team enjoys friendly competition, consider ways you can gamify sustainability efforts with other departments. Consider rewarding the team for helping the company reach a sustainability goal, like reducing waste or energy usage. 

Recognize sustainability champions

No matter how hard you try to get everyone involved in sustainability efforts, some co-workers will naturally be more engaged than others. Recognize and reward those co-workers for their hard work and their efforts to make a difference for your business. Show them that you appreciate their commitment to a more sustainable working environment. 

Looking for more ways to make your business sustainable? Pollock Orora has several resources to help you get started. Contact us today to learn more.