Employees can be a great source of ideas and energy if you’re looking to reduce waste and make your organization more sustainable. Here are a few ways to engage staff in greening your workplace.

Invite your employees to start a green team. Green teams are usually a self-organized, cross-functional group of employees who voluntarily come together to identify ways to improve efficiency and reduce waste at work. They’ll make suggestions to reduce energy use, waste and costs and help to implement the solutions, once they’re approved – all with the goal of making your organization more sustainable.

Here are some tips to help your green team get started.

If you’re looking to foster teamwork and help to green our city, there are a variety of events that individuals and green teams can participate in:

Clean Toronto Together 
Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Stewardship Events
Second Harvest
Evergreen
Habitat for Humanity
Toronto Green Community
Bruce Trail
Everdale
Furniture Bank
Riverwood Conservancy

Simple tips to make your meetings, conferences and special events more eco-friendly.

  • Fill a pitcher or two with tap water, rather than provide bottled water at meetings.
  • Keep paper to a minimum.
  • Find an eco-friendly catering company.
  • Book offsite meetings in eco-friendly facilities.
  • Consider teleconferencing rather than travelling to meet in person.
  • When travelling, book an eco-friendly hotel.
  • The Green Key Meetings Program is about incorporating sustainable initiatives into meeting operations.