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You are here: Home/Blog / Waste Reduction1 / 50 Sustainability Ideas for Business2

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Ideas for a workplace to be more sustainable

50 ways to be more sustainable and “go green” at work

Ideas for your plant, office, restrooms, breakroom and in the community

Sustainability makes good business sense.  Creating a culture of sustainability gives your employees a reason to feel good about their job and “brag” to friends and family about the good things your company is doing.  This in turn supports recruitment efforts – people want to work for a company that is environmentally responsible.

Sustainability also goes hand in hand with cost savings.  Being more efficient, using less, and cutting down on unnecessary waste can help your company realize significant cost savings.

And finally, sustainability is good for business development and retention, especially as more companies require proof of sustainability up and down their supply chain.

Tips to make your sustainability efforts shine

Sustainability is marathon, not a sprint.  Here are some tips to be successful with your ongoing initiatives.

  • Establish your baseline and conduct a waste assessment / audit regularly. Consider using a third-party waste management group to assist.
  • Set realistic goals. For ideas, check out these 45 Examples of Corporate Sustainability Goals.
  • Track and communicate your progress and success often. You can use software tools to track your sustainability, or use simple spreadsheets.
  • Create teams within your company. Empower them to effect change.
  • Make it fun. Use pictures. Offer incentives.  Be creative!
  • Make people accountable. Tie their success into performance goals if it makes sense.
  • Benchmark against other companies.
  • Promote your efforts to all stakeholders. Use social media.

Why 50?  

In 2020 we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day!

Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day in 1970 as a way to force this issue onto the national agenda. Twenty million Americans demonstrated in different U.S. cities, and it worked! In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

EHS OnPoint is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with these 50 ideas to be more sustainable at work. You can find more environmental days to celebrate in our 2020 Environmental Calendar.

50 sustainability ideas for your business

Let’s get started.  Sustainability ideas are sorted by business department.  Click on a department below to jump to that section.

Production
Office
Restroom
Cafeteria / Breakroom
Community

Sustainability in Production

Sustainability ideas for the workplace in your manufacturing plant
reusable oil absorbent icon

1

Switch to reusable absorbents

Instead of using single-use absorbents for oil drips and spills, switch to an absorbent reuse program where absorbents are laundered for reuse and the recovered oil is recycled.

shop towel service icon

2.

Use a towel service

Reusable shop towels save energy, improve air quality and reduce waste compared to disposable wipes. Reusable towels vs. Disposable Wipes: Get the Facts

glove cleaning service icon

3.

Reuse PPE gloves

Getting your PPE gloves regularly laundered for reuse can significantly cut down on waste and cost.

apron laundering service icon

4.

Avoid home laundering uniforms

Uniform laundering service from an industrial laundry is far more efficient than home laundering.  It requires less energy and less water. Use industrial laundering for aprons, coveralls, and uniforms.

upgrade equipment icon

5.

Upgrade or repair equipment

Upgrade or repair equipment on a regular schedule to avoid defects, leaking fluid, and other inefficiencies. Try to avoid oversized equipment (designed to handle a “just in case” increase in demand), which can be a wasteful use of energy in manufacturing.

raw material icon

6.

Upgrade raw materials

A higher quality raw material may generate less waste in the process or reaction.

process flow icon

7.

Redesign your process flow

A new process flow can reduce time, energy, materials and help you realize other new efficiencies. Incorporate this into your 6S initiatives.

green packaging icon

8.

Change your packaging

Modify your product packaging so it can be easily recycled. Make it easy for end users to identify how to recycle the packaging.

training icon

9.

Conduct training

Train and cross-train end users on your processes and procedures.  Training will help reduce errors, downtime and wasted energy.

production quality checks icon

10.

Add quality checks

Catch errors and defects sooner.  Added quality checks will help reduce wasteful production runs.

eco-friendly resources icon

11.

Utilize free resources

Take advantage of free tools and resources that will support your efforts for sustainable manufacturing.  The EPA offers a number of free tools, including this E3 Sustainable Manufacturing Curriculum.

sustainable suppliers icon

12.

Work with Suppliers

Talk to suppliers for better alternatives. Audit your supplier’s downstream process. Work with them for well-timed deliveries and packaging options to reduce waste.  Instruct suppliers to ship things on reusable pallets and store them for reuse.

tracking icon

13.

Tracking tools

Use advanced intelligence to track your process from raw material to shipment. Utilize sustainability tracking tools to measure your progress over time.

overstock sale icon

14.

Overstock Sale

Sell your overstock or slightly defective products at an inventory reduction event, or donate overstock to a local organization.

waste exchange program icon

15.

Waste Exchange Program

Find a waste exchange program or material marketplace for your unwanted material.  Here is an example:  Ohio Material Marketplace

Life cycle Thinking Icon

16.

Apply Life Cycle Thinking

You can use Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) to gain a holistic perspective of your operation’s environmental footprint – from concept, purchasing, manufacturing and distribution- to end-of-life by your customers. By revealing the big picture, a life cycle approach ensures that you aren’t improving in one area at the expense of another.

Sustainability in the Office

Ideas to go green in the office
mop and bucket eco-friendly cleaning icon

17.

Chemical-free cleaning

Choose low-emitting cleaning products. Avoid harsh cleaners and solvents if possible.  Use a reusable wet mop to clean your floors and invest in vacuums with HEPA filters to improve dust control and air quality.

reduce car emissions icon

18.

Reduce Employee Travel

Organize a carpool at your different offices, offer telecommuting, and conduct more meetings via teleconference.

save to the cloud icon

19.

Reduce Paper Use

Print less by saving to a hard drive or cloud service.  Print double sided, and start a scratch paper pile at each printer.

energy efficiency icon

20.

Energy Efficiency

Buy energy efficient items with the ENERGY STAR ® logo or items that are EPEAT registered for the office. Switch to automatic lights. Use a programmable thermostat. Put computers in sleep mode when not in use.

refillable ink icon

21.

Refillable Ink

Switch to a refillable ink that cuts down on discarded toner units.

recycle ewaste icon

22.

Collect eWaste

Start a collection for unwanted electronic items, including cell phones, computers, printers, batteries, ink cartridges, and cables.  Find an e-waste hauler to sustainably handle the collected waste.

sustainable office supplies icon

23.

Supplies

Centralize supply orders to reduce shipments. Make supplies last longer by using pens one at a time and keeping all pens, markers and glue sticks in a cool, dry place so they are less likely to dry up and harden.

color coded recycling bins icon

24.

Color-Coded Recycling Bins

Place bins in strategic locations around your facility, clearly marked for the type of waste being thrown away. Use color coding and signs.

upcycle office equipment icon

25.

Upcycle station for old office equipment and furniture

Set up a room or space to house old equipment and furniture that you no longer need.  Allow employees to take items home and repurpose.

digital invoice icon

26.

Digital Invoices

Ditch the paper invoices and switch to digital.

office plant icon

27.

Add plants

Plants help remind people of the importance of the environment, and in general can makes people happier.  Plants can also help cleanse the air.

centralized waste sorting icon

28.

Centralized Waste Sorting

Discontinue desk-to-desk custodial pickup, and have employees empty their waste bins into a centralized station.  This gets people to stop and think about what they’re putting in the trash.

dry erase board icon

29.

Dry Erase Board

Switch out the giant notepads for a reusable dry-erase board.

Eco Friendly Shipping Icon

30.

Ship Responsibly

Order multiple things from the same place at once with no-rush shipping. Rushed packages mean more trucks clogging roads in cities—which makes more traffic, and more pollution.

Sustainability Contest at Work Icon

31.

Hold a Contest

Offer a contest or ongoing “green” challenges to your employees. Have them come up with additional ways to support your sustainability goals.  Create teams and give incentives.

Sustainability in the Lunch Room

ideas for sustainability at work in the break room or cafeteria
Eco-Friendly Appliances Icon

32.

Upgrade Appliances

Switch out old appliances to ENERGY STAR certified appliances.  Maintain an air-gap behind refrigerators, water coolers, and freezers.  Do not run the dishwasher unless it’s full.  Purchase a coffee maker with an automatic shut-off. Avoid K-cup machines.

compost food waste icon

33.

Compost food waste

Start a compost collection for food waste.  How to compost at work. 

filtered water icon

34.

Filtered Water

Add a filter to your tap water and encourage employees to fill up their reusable water bottles.

kitchen drying towel icon

35.

Reusable Drying Towels

Replace paper towels with reusable wash cloths and drying towels.

36.

Eliminate Styrofoam

Replace Styrofoam coffee cups at coffee machine with “branded” company mugs that can be reused.

plastic utensils icon

37.

Eliminate Plastic Waste

Stock your kitchens with real utensils, drinking glasses and reusable drinking straws

buy condiments in bulk icon

38.

Buy condiments in bulk

Skip the mini ketchup packets and individually wrapped salt and pepper packs and replace with regular size condiments. Buy them in bulk to reduce shipping and packaging.

plastic bag recycle icon

39.

Plastic bag collection

Start a plastic bag collection center.  Encourage employees reuse them or turn them into something new.

Sustainability in the Bathroom / Locker Room

Ideas for sustainability at work in the restroom or locker room
Restroom sink icon

40.

Switch to Cotton Roll Towels

Replace paper towels with cotton roll towels, which get laundered for reuse.

sustainable toilets icon

41.

Water efficiency

Use low flow water, reuse sink water for toilet flush water, and use multi-flush toilets

soap icon

42.

Soap

If you have a locker room with showers, melt old soaps together to make new soaps, and use shampoo plus conditioner in one.

bath towel icon

43.

Reusable Towels

Supply reusable bath towels for showers and reusable cleaning rags for the janitorial crew.

Involve the Community

corporate sustainability in the community
Community cleanup icon

44.

Support employees volunteering for cleanup events in your local community

Consider organizing group events, or compensate employees for volunteering around the local community. Search for an event here: https://cleanup.earthday.org/pages/find-a-cleanup

Environmental days calendar icon

45.

Celebrate Environmental Events

Environmental observances and world day campaigns are a great way to raise awareness for a cause that is meaningful to you or your company. Check out our 2020 calendar.

Community Donation Drive Icon

46.

Host a donation drive

Collect old toys, clothes, books and furniture to be donated to charitable organizations. Make it a fun event with food and entertainment. Make it a contest.

Plant a tree at work icon

47.

Plant Trees

Plant trees and shrubs regularly.

Take Action on Community Sustainability Icon

48.

Take Action

Rally your neighbors to provide input for important community decisions—with the aim of making the civic process more accessible, inclusive, and engaging.

car free day icon

49.

Organize Car Free Days

Organize a local bike to work day if it makes sense in your community.

Publicize your social media efforts icon

50.

Publicize your Efforts

Make a big deal out of your achievements.  Post them on your web site and on social media.  Sustainable companies want to do business with companies that share their values. And your achievements might encourage others to do the same!

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