Create a workplace Green Team

I recently got a call from a good friend of mine, thrilled to tell me that she has taken it upon herself to become the recycling guru at her work (a large, corporate office in RTP). After years of seeing me sort through the garbage looking for plastic bottles, chipboard, empty cans, etc., she now has joined the green train and is influencing others at work to be more eco-conscious. Her call reminded me that there is a great online resource for folks looking to do the same thing at their workplaces. From our friends at Earth Share of North Carolina:

"Employees interested in being green now have a new resource to support their efforts – ESNC’s One Environment Network (OEN). This new web based program will aid environmentally-minded employees in creating green teams to promote sustainable practices in their workplaces and in their daily lives. Unlike programs that exist to support sustainable business practices at the management level, OEN is uniquely designed to support action at the employee level, by giving employees the structure and resources to inspire co-workers to adopt small changes that make a big difference."

To kick off the whole process, read their Getting Started Guide, which includes:

• How to start a green team;
• A sample agenda and information for a kick-off meeting;
• Ways to decide on a project(s);
• Info on registering your team and using the OEN website.

You can also post to the discussion board, direct coworkers to volunteer opportunities, and download step-by-step guides on current green team projects.

Before you know it, you'll be that ever-so-diligent person at work reminding folks to rinse and crush their cans prior to putting them into the recycling bin. :)