By: Jennifer Meek

This year, on April 22, companies around the world will celebrate Earth Day, taking action to show that when whole industries, communities or organizations join together, the impact can be incredible. From neighborhood cleanups to company-wide sustainability initiatives, the opportunities for harnessing the power of Earth Day to make an environmental impact are endless.  

Building service contractors are uniquely positioned to organize and promote earth day activities with their employees and clients to achieve results all year long. Having trouble coming up with ideas? It’s never too late to organize a green initiative. Here are some of our tips for building service contractors who are looking for an impactful way to celebrate Earth Day.

  1. Have a green cleaning program? Tout it! Chances are you already have environmentally preferable initiatives in place in your cleaning processes. Have you switched to third-party certified, healthier and greener cleaning products? Are you using a metered dispensing system or dilution to limit waste and ensure less chemicals are released into the environment? Does your staff know about these initiatives and their benefits? How about your clients? Use April as a time to remind your team and those you serve of all you are already doing to protect the environment. An e-newsletter, social media posts, or a team meeting organized around Earth Day provide the perfect opportunity to list your eco-conscious efforts and re-engage your team and clients in the efforts!
  2. Add a pledge to do even more. Add a pledge to switch to electronic billing, paperless pay stubs, greener purchasing, or less packaging for 2020. After you tout what you’re currently doing to create healthier, safer places for your team and clients, pledge to do even more. You can make it official by pledging online at A Billion Acts of Green.
  3. Organize a community cleanup. April 22 is a wonderful day to organize a clean-up of a local park or neighborhood that will have lasting benefits for your community and your company. Your BSC is perfectly suited for the task, since you are the community cleaning experts after all. This is a wonderful team-building opportunity, too. Make sure you invest in matching company T-shirts and promote your efforts. Invite your clients to participate to make the impact even larger.
  4. Plant a company tree. Sometimes the simplest gestures can be the most perfect. Organize a tree-planting ceremony at your company headquarters, or donate to a community park. Why not pick a client through a contest to receive the tree? A new tree is a symbol for our shared environment and the ways we can work together to make it healthier.
  5. Dive into your waste stream. Look at the waste your BSC generates. Organize a team garbage dive, using proper PPE, to examine what items are being wasted, which items are properly recycled and which items are contaminating your waste stream. Take the data you collect from this dive to make more sustainable purchasing and waste decisions together.
  6. Who’s on your green team? Earth day is as good a day as any to designate and assemble your BSC’s very own green team! This can be a team of employees who have a demonstrated commitment to providing healthier, safer places and protecting the environment. Have a meeting, offer specialized trainings, and give your green team the opportunity to design and implement their own green initiatives.
  7. Participate in an Earth Day event. Does your BSC work for a local school, university or government organization? These organizations often host special Earth Day events to allow the community to come together in celebration. Talk to the organizer about securing a table where you can display your green initiatives, or organize a demo or activity at the event. Be a part of the Earth Day conversation!
  8. Organize a carpool. Have you noticed many of your employees drive to a job separately? Why not offer free shared rides in a company vehicle or through Uber for your team on Earth Day? Then offer an incentive, like a bonus day of PTO, to encourage teammates to continue to carpool throughout the year.
  9. Find a local organization to support. Find a local school or nonprofit organization that could use your expertise and help. Offer to plant a garden, organize a cleanup or simply clean a building using eco-friendly products. Local schools can use help engaging students in environmental practices, and this is your chance to make a lasting impression on future generations.

Our Charlotte Cares program loves to help support initiatives that serve communities and build safer, healthier spaces. If you have an earth day celebration coming up, please share it with us on our instagram @charlottecaresprogram or use the hashtag #CharlotteCares. We may be able to help support or promote the important work your BSC is doing to protect our planet and create cleaner, healthier and safer places.