Introduction

If you're on the path to sustainability, you already know that it's more than just recycling. Sustainable companies have employees who are engaged in their company's progress toward its goals and understand how their roles contribute to that progress. When employees feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves, they feel empowered to do better work and make a real difference in the world—not just for their customers, but also for themselves and their co-workers.

How to think about sustainability questions.

Sustainable companies are more than just the ones that recycle. They’re the ones that take a long-term view of their actions and create solutions to problems they might not have even been aware of. Sustainable companies are responsible not just to their investors, but also to the people and planet they depend on. And sustainable companies do all this while being empathetic, because sustainability is about understanding what it means for other individuals and communities—not just your own business—to thrive as well.

How to engage your employees in sustainability.

To make sustainability a priority for you and your employees, you'll have to first get them involved in the process. You can do this by offering rewards and incentives for those who take part in sustainable practices. If you offer rewards, then it's helpful if these incentives are something that employees will value. For example, if an employee is interested in staying fit and healthy, they may want to earn points toward the purchase of new clothing each month or year-end bonus. If an employee wants to learn more about sustainability initiatives at work, they may want access to training materials that will help them understand how they can make changes within their own departments or teams—and again these could come with valued rewards such as gift cards or monetary awards.

Another way employers can encourage their staff members' participation in sustainability programs is by providing education about why these programs are important—without sounding like a lecture!

Communicating your progress.

Communicating your progress to employees is key to maintaining a sustainable culture. It's important to use metrics and data (for example, energy efficiency and waste reduction) as well as qualitative measures (such as employee engagement) when assessing the success of your sustainability efforts.

You can use social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn for communication purposes. Not only do these sites allow you to share information about what you're doing for the environment; they also give employees an opportunity to check in with each other on how they're doing their part towards building an eco-conscious workplace.

There's more to sustainability than recycling.

Corporate sustainability is about reducing the negative impact of your company on the environment and society, while increasing positive contributions. This can be done in many ways, including:

• Reducing resource use (e.g., by recycling)
• Offering products that are made with sustainable materials, such as recycled paper or organic cotton.
• Supporting organizations that preserve nature or community values (e.g., environmental charities).
• Giving money or resources to help people learn how to live sustainably (for example, through educational programs).

Conclusion

Here's the TL;DR: Sustainability is an important part of modern business, and it doesn't have to be a time-consuming obstacle. By thinking about sustainability early on in your company's life cycle, you can make sure that your products and services are environmentally friendly from start to finish. You can engage your employees in the process by asking them questions about how they want to contribute and what they want their workplace culture to look like going forward. Communicating with customers about sustainability efforts is also crucial - if they know exactly where their money goes when they spend it on one of your products or services, they're more likely to support them in future purchases as well!