Step Six: Encouraging Participation

While the hardest part is over, the next often-overlooked step is the reason most programs fail. The success of any program depends on the participation of everyone from the upper managers to the janitorial staff. It takes continued enthusiasm on the part of the managers, combined with a consistent level of participation from the employees, to keep a good program up and running.

At the first sign of any wavering of commitment to the environmental program, the Green Team leader should work quickly to uncover the cause of the problem and then take immediate action to correct it. When people begin to return to their old habits, whatever the reason, the program is at extreme risk. If a program fails, it will take twice as much effort to reestablish it.

Promote the Program

Continually reinforcing a new habit is extremely important. It takes continual education to change people’s behaviors. To keep everyone updated and excited about the accomplishments of the program try:

Posting frequent program updates or general environmental tips on an intranet, in newsletters, on central bulletin boards, and via email
Publicizing program milestones
Calculating the environmental impact of your program – e.g., number of trees saved, number of barrels of oil conserved, amount of disposal costs avoided
Developing a logo and/or a slogan for your program
Creating posters, table tents, and fact sheets as reminders of the program’s guidelines and benefits

Offer Incentives

Every person will have a different motivation for participating in the program. Try several different incentive ideas to reach the most people. Prizes do not have to be costly or extravagant. Sometimes a certificate honoring or recognizing a person’s actions is all that’s needed. Here are a few more examples:

Give prizes to the divisions/floors/companies with the highest participation for a time period (e.g., month, quarter, year)
Donate any revenue to a local charitable organization
Use any revenue for an employee fund for parties
Solicit suggestions from employees/tenants for new ideas for the program; give awards for the best ideas or suggestions
Hold internal recognition events where awards are given
Host activities that involve the families of employees and tenants
Set an office or building-wide goal and provide rewards when it is met (a pizza party or gift certificates)
Track your progress with a highly visible display (e.g., the large thermometers used for blood drives)

Avoid Conflicting Messages

Once your company has adopted a program with environmental goals, it’s important not to send conflicting messages with your education and publicity events. Here are a few suggestions to help you avoid this:

Plan events throughout the year; not only on Earth Day
Apply for internal and external recognition programs to demonstrate pride in and commitment to your efforts
Give incentives and prizes that are in keeping with the overall goals of your program; not disposable items that will end up in the waste stream
Give out items made from recycled and recyclable material to reinforce the idea of “buying recycled” and showcase these products
Give items that employees can use to save money at home — such as an auto-shutoff nozzle for the garden hose to encourage them to continue their environmental efforts at home