Business sustainability. We’ve all been made aware of sustainability with regard to recycling paper, glass, cans and other products at home for many years now. I know this has become much more mainstream in working with my clients. Home owners are increasingly aware also of where they can recycle their paper, electronics, as well as their “stuff.” And in the business place, my clients have set up recycling programs for paper, soda cans, and are finally more open to electronic organization to decrease the overuse of paper.

Reducing the impact is a great first step to becoming an environmental steward. We’ve known about social entrepreneurs for years, where one has a passion for a cause because they have seen an unfair situation or personally they had been slighted, so they create a foundation to improve the situation.

Currently more and more businesses are revealing their own passion to protect and conserve our world through their business practices. I’ve committed to a program over the next couple of months to learn about how my business can take a stand in being sustainable incorporating the concepts of a triple bottom line, focusing on more than just profit — to now include social and community interests as well.

I’ll be writing more about this topic in the weeks to come. In the meantime, think about some actions you can put in place to start implementing green initiatives in your work.

Here are a few ideas as you develop your own:

• Use printers that can print on both sides.
• Increase your efforts and budget to buy recycled supplies.
• Add recycling receptacles to your individual office as well as common areas.
• Implement a used battery collection program to properly dispose of personal batteries.
• As summer is coming, create a bicycle rack and lockers for employees to encourage bicycle commuters.
• Use an intranet environment to inform employees of your program listing resources for their personal involvement as well.
• Highlight employees in an e-newsletter, who are taking sustainability home with them.

These are just a few ideas and I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Let me know what you are doing to become a sustainable organization. Think about developing your own Triple Bottom Line plan and strategy.

Watch for more as I continue with my class over the next six weeks! I’m excited to share with you how we can all make a difference. This brings my passion of being of service to a whole new level.  If you would like to consider becoming a triple bottom line company, I would highly recommend this program.  Another class is coming up in September.  Check out their site for more information.  http://proggroup.com/greater-good-project.html. 

© Strategize & Organize, Anne McGurty. 2010