By Amanda Czepiel
This year, Earth Day falls on Sunday, April 22, which makes us quite happy, as many people will have a greater opportunity to get outdoors and spend time with their family and friends participating in nature and community activities on a weekend day. But just because the official Earth Day celebration date isn't on a traditional workday, it does not mean that you can't celebrate in your office.
Here at BLR, we have selected Tuesday, April 24, as the date of our annual Earth Day brown bag lunch. We set up a picnic-style lunch on our outdoor patio and provide homemade desserts and fresh beverages (dispensed from a cooler, of course, to avoid disposable bottles), and we encourage employees to bring their own cup and their lunch in reusable containers. It's a simple event, one that promotes waste reduction, community, and the enjoyment of the outdoors.
In addition to hosting an "eco-luncheon," here are some other ways to celebrate Earth Day in the workplace:
Plant trees. Start a tradition of planting a new tree on your office property each Earth Day. Invite employees outside to view the tree as it goes into the ground.
Clean up around the office. Have Earth Day be a spring cleaning day, and provide ways to recycle paper, old office equipment, and office supplies.
Hold an e-waste collection drive. Provide an area where employees can drop off old electronics to be recycled responsibly.
Organize a community service event. Have employees spend a few hours cleaning up a local park, or host a used book drive for a local shelter.
How are you going to celebrate Earth Day at work?
