Green Team

Working alone is never easy and when it comes to making your workplace a more sustainable environment, you shouldn't have to. Green teams are a collaborative way to get employees to join together to identify green practices that can easily be incorporated into existing corporate cultures.

These teams can help employees develop personal investments in sustainable programs and can reduce business expenses by eliminating unnecessary waste and decreasing energy usage.

Here are a few simple steps to get a green team started in your office:

• Seek approval: Before starting an office green team, it's important to receive management's approval. This will not only increase company support, but it will also give you a sense of what kind of resources your company is willing to dedicate to the team.
• Recruit diverse members: Find out who is interested in joining the green team. Try to recruit members from a variety of departments and experience levels to give your team more diversity.
• Develop an action plan: Discuss ways in which your office can reduce energy usage or unnecessary waste. These can be simple steps like encouraging others to turn off any unused electronics each night or more complicated efforts like hosting an event to get other employees involved. Need ideas? Try using the Energy Star Green Team check list or review suggestions from the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Promote office buy-in: Find ways to earn company-wide support for green initiatives, whether it's by placing informative fliers in the office, holding company-wide events, or rewarding employees who embrace sustainable practices.