Earth Day at Work

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.