Earth Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the planet and take action to protect it. Whether or not sustainability is a core pillar of your business, sharing ways to care for the Earth is a wonderful message for employees.
There are many things that businesses can do to celebrate Earth Day at work. Here are a few ideas:
- Host an Earth Day event. This could be anything from a potluck lunch to a tree planting ceremony. Get your employees involved in planning and organizing the event, and make sure to promote it to the community.
- Encourage employees to take public transportation or carpool to work. You can offer incentives, such as a free parking day or a gift card to a local business, for employees who choose to take alternative transportation.
- Reduce your office’s energy consumption. Turn off lights and computers when they’re not in use, and unplug appliances when they’re not in use. You can also install energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances.
- Recycle and compost. Make sure your office has recycling and composting bins, and encourage employees to use them. You can also compost food waste from the office cafeteria.
- Use sustainable office supplies. Choose office supplies that are made from recycled materials or that are biodegradable. You can also print double-sided and use recycled paper.
- Support environmental causes. Donate to an environmental organization or volunteer your time to a local environmental project.
Earth Day at Work: the Gift of Plants
In an excellent article on the topic, Glassdoor recommends the gift of plants to employees. Here are three recommendations:
- Boston Fern, which acts as a natural air humidifier and eliminates formaldehyde.
- Peace Lily, which removes formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene, the three most common VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
- Aloe, which releases oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide.
Would you like more ideas for how to celebrate holidays like Earth Day at work? Check out our free 2023 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar.
