Communicating with and engaging employees, customers or clients in reduction initiatives can help achieve your goals and expand the impact of your efforts.

Tips:

  • Use clear signage and images to help employees and customers sort trash appropriately, to reduce water usage, etc.
  • To  help motivate employees with changing their practices, provide education on the importance of the practices and the results of the changes (e.g., “we kept xx pounds of trash out of the waste stream this year!”)
  • Encourage re-use by hosting on-site swaps – for employees and the community – of used clothing, furnishings, holiday gifts or other items. Or run clothing donation drives for homeless/displaced families.
  • Some organizations have worked with suppliers to help reduce incoming waste, packaging, etc.
  • Making your purchasing preferences and policies clear to vendors can also encourage them to adopt greening practices. One company keeps a form letter on their computer and sends it to any vendor that sends an over-packaged order.
  • Educate employees and customers on how to do personal environmental assessments, using an online ecological or carbon footprint assessment.
  • Provide education about or financial assistance for employees’ energy efficient home improvements or purchases of hybrid/high efficiency vehicles.

 

Also see the Advocacy section.