8 ways to take action at work to celebrate Earth Day

Discussions about sustainable practices at home are frequent, but what about our workplace?

During the last B Corp monthly breakfast, we asked the participants about the environmental actions implemented within their company. On this Earth Day, here are eight sustainable actions currently done in different B Corps.

Photos by MANNY

1. "We have zero-waste days when employees can come and fill their containers with household products."

- Sabrina Alexandra Roy, Prana

During these days, Prana employees have access to filling stations with products such as shampoo and dish soap.It's a great way to build a new habit and accommodate those who don't live near a zero-waste grocery store.

2. "Next year, BDC will host a hive with the Montreal company, Alvéole, on the roof of the new head office."

- Craig Ryan, BDC

Did you know that one third of our diet depends on the pollination of bees? With the significant decrease of the bee populations, the installation of urban hives makes a real difference.

3. "We buy from B Corp certified companies like The Unscented Company for our cleaning products and Prana for our office snacks."

- Maxime Louis-Seize and Charlotte Centeno, Kotmo

Purchasing consumer goods from B Corp certified companies is about supporting companies that are truly committed to creating sustainable values.

4. "We planted trees to offset our greenhouse gas emissions from air travel."

- Thomas Ferland-Dionne, GSoft

Last December, over a hundred employees at GSoft flew for their Christmas party. By doing business with Planetair, they allowed tree planting to offset the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions from their flight.

5. "During the winter, the public transit pass is paid!"

- Elisabeth Poirier-Defoy, Canidé

Since most of their employees use their bike during summer, Canidé offers them the Opus card during winter to encourage eco-responsible actions throughout the year.

6. "A good way to engage employees is to challenge them! For my part, I did the challenge "Nothing new in 2018", but it is also possible to do it only for a week with your colleagues.

- Anne Lauthier, Ellio

Group challenges help to mobilize employees while raising awareness of environmental issues. A good way to show that as a group, it’s possible to make a difference!

7. "Our business cards are made from recycled materials."

- Nina Lantinga, Lantinga Vita

As Nina said so well: "The important thing is to always be aware of all the small things we do". In addition to business cards, she also avoids car travel and gives employees access to Bixi passes.

8. "Buying local is important for us! We always have beer from Quebec microbreweries for our happy hours."

- Martin Bertrand, Republik

An action for the planet that particularly pleases employees! In addition to reducing our waste by avoiding bottles and cans, we encourage local companies such as LOOP who revalorize bread wasted for their beer production.

We spend a lot of our time at the office. It might be between the walls of our workspace that we consume, waste and throw away the most. Earth Day is the perfect day to reflect on our impact and take new green actions.

And who knows? Maybe your small daily actions could influence your office neighbour, your department or even your business to finally take a green turn. And as we care about our planet, here’s a few more ideas to bring to the office tomorrow. Take inspiration from these initiatives to transform your workplace your own way.

• Add compost and recycling bin.
• Offer utensils and chopsticks in the office
• Leave reusable bags available
• Encourage the use of reusable containers for take-out
• Have a coffee machine to avoid single-use cups.
• Choose zero waste caterers at events
• Suggest lunch & learn or conferences about the environment
• Print only when needed and do it two-sided
• Turn off lights when leaving a room