What does environmental responsibility mean for businesses?
As it’s Plastic Free July, it feels like a good time to delve into environmental responsibility for business.
We know as well as anyone that the terminology around sustainability can sometimes be a bit confusing.
Businesses are making a concerted effort to improve their approach to sustainability and their environmental impact.
But oftentimes we’re faced with a lack of understanding of what things actually mean, which then becomes a barrier to progress.
So let’s begin by answering a burning question.
What is environmental responsibility?
It falls under something called corporate social responsibility (CSR).
CSR is the overall ethos and ideology behind sustainable, societal and ethical practices for businesses.
And within CSR, we have environmental responsibility.
This is when companies put sustainable practices at the forefront, by carbon offsetting, using renewable energy or using sustainable materials.
As IBM note in their blog about CSR:
CSR can have a positive impact on an organization’s brand identity as well as its bottom line. Some CSR efforts, such as improving energy efficiency, can reduce operating costs and might lead to savings in the end.
Keeping up with your environmental responsibility
Once you’ve set out a plan of how you’re going to build your sustainability approach, it’s important to keep the pace.
We’ve found that tuning in to the latest sustainability news, updates, and incentives has helped us stay focussed and up-to-date.
By posting regularly about sustainability incentives, and discussing them within the business, we keep the conversation going.
And, we keep our team engaged and on board, because after all, it’s a team effort.
A sustainable incentive
So for Plastic Free July, we decided to design our own Keepcups.
Teamsters can choose between two colours, and will have a reusable, durable and handy cup for all of their hot beverages.
This helps reduce plastics, and keep up our environmental responsibility momentum, and stay on brand!
Final thoughts
Sharing your sustainability efforts with others, including your team, can really help keep your environmental responsibilities at the top of your priorities as a business.
So why not invest in reusable coffee mugs for your team?
