Still looking for an Earth Day event for your company that can move your eco-efforts forward? Here are eight ideas, courtesy of recyclecoach.com that can be adapted to any store’s or business’s situation. There are a billion people that celebrate Earth Day every year, so join the fun and Go Green!
1 Establish a Green Team Taskforce
A Green Team taskforce will help you understand how your company will be more green and sustainable in the future. It can investigate methods of reducing your environmental impact, explain the goals of sustainable development to your employees, roll out affordable plans and initiatives that save you money and resources and take ownership of all sustainability matters at your company. It can be a volunteer role or officially appointed. Earth Day is a good time to announce it to the world.
2 Have a Community Earth Day Party
Everyone loves an Earth Day party, so go ahead and host a special event and invite your business network, employees and customers to your own green bash. Earth Day activities for companies don’t have to be expensive, and a party is no different. Some ideas: A dress-up theme where everyone creates an item of clothing from recyclable materials; an event where everyone in the community brings a bottle and builds a sculpture; everyone brings old clothes/unwanted items, then swaps them/gives them away.
3 Host a Green Fundraiser
What better cause for a fundraiser than our planet? Your Green Team can pick a cause or organization Ð and your company will raise money for that cause. Create a jog-a-thon, push-up-a-thon or sing-a-thon for pledge-based fundraising. Put on a show and sell tickets, then donate the money. Raise money for your own ongoing green education initiative. It can end in a big finale on Earth Day.
4 Launch an Incentives-Based Recycling Program
Why not launch an office recycling program in honor of Earth Day? The average employee creates an enormous amount of waste every month, waste that harms the earth and your pocket. Create recycling stations in visible work areas and assign volunteers to make sure employees follow the rules. Use an app that educates your employees and links everyone together and, better yet, create exciting rewards for employees that recycle the most waste.
5 Reward Your Green Customers
To celebrate Earth Day, pick some activities that remind your customers that you appreciate their green efforts. How about offering discounts for customers who recycle É or a “bring in recycling, get 20 percent off program” É or host a free-dinner-for-all-green-clients evening.
6 Start Donating Food Surplus to Homeless Shelters
Many companies have pledged food to recycling companies, homeless shelters and other sustainable programs for use. This Earth Day, your idea can be to create a zero waste kitchen for your employees. Even if you only donate 30 percent of all unused food to the homeless, it can make an enormous difference in their lives.
7 Invite an Expert to Speak to Your Employees
When companies get experts on sustainable development to do a talk for their employees, it tends to spark real change. Topics can include Earth Day recycling, Energy Efficiency in the workplace or New Technology and Climate Change.
8 Lend Your Employees to an Eco-Cause
Find a cause, and volunteer your employees as helpers on Earth Day. They’ll love it. Get them to sign a host of new petitions supporting the environment, go out en masse and plant trees where they are needed or descend on a polluted beach or trail and clean it up.
