Going all-out on Sustainability

In line with the theme this term of just getting out and doing it - the home furnishings company Ikea is an example of just that. Sure they are not perfect, nor would they claim to be, but Steve Howard, chief sustainability officer at Ikea, talks about his role in in the company driving them forward in sustainability.  They have made some pretty big gains and drawn some pretty clear lines in the sand.  

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Have a listen to the short talk, its only 13 minutes - so watch it while you are doing the dishes or something!  Its time well spent.  

Steve Howard: Let's go all-in on selling sustainability

Now that you have been inspired, have a think about what your business or industry can do to make some gains in improving sustainability - both financial, social, and environmental. 

I'll get you started:
Energy - How do your buildings perform? Are they insulated? What heating do you use? Is there double glazing? What about lighting - do you have energy efficient bulbs? Some simple building changes could reduce your energy bill.  Record what it is now (your energy bill will tell you monthly units of energy used over the past 12 months).  Look for areas of inefficiency and fix them and see what happens in the next month comparative with the same month the previous year.     Replace you appliances with energy efficient ones and ensure their placement in the building is not making them have to work harder - like fridges in direct sunlight!  Watch your energy bills go down and each month do something else.  This list is not exclusive.  Simple actions like maintaining a drier, warmer building are better for the environment, better for staff health, and better for the bottom line in ways such as energy costs and reduced sick days. 

Staff well-being - Do you listen to your staff (or are you listened to as an employee)? Are there regular staff meetings where all input is valued? Are staff given responsibility and trusted? Are there adequate down times in each day for people to recharge?  What changes could be made to make staff feel more included and valuable to the team?  Most of the time its not simply an increased pay rate!  

Disinfectants - Have you audited the disinfectant you use?  Does it have zero effect on the environment? Is the company that produces it looking after their staff? Is it safe for your staff to handle every day? Are there toxic by-products produced when it is made?  Make sure you can satisfy yourself that you are using the best disinfectant with the lowest impact on the environment. 

There are many other areas that can be looked at to improve sustainable practices in your business, workplace, home and community. If you are not the boss and want to get traction on a project in your workplace - start with a project that will save the boss money!  An energy audit would be a good place to start.  Simply showing that you can spend a little to save a lot could be all that's needed to get them on board.  Once implemented, your successful project will provide  traction for other projects that may not affect the bottom line but instead will reduce environmental impacts. 

Take a moment to comment below on some ideas that you have. I look forward to hearing what projects you are putting in place.  

Have a great week.