Program on the Environment

Businesses like Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Boeing are just a few examples of companies with massive personnel presences in offices and warehouses. The large number of on-site employees has often resulted in a hefty waste stream coming from these sites that are often inefficient, unorganized, and costly. Creating a more sustainable waste stream is beneficial for businesses with large on-site employee presences for a variety of reasons, including reductions in landfill costs, improvements in employee morale, and improvements in public perception of the businesses. Since there are bottom line motivations for businesses to create more sustainable waste streams, the question then becomes: what are ways that businesses can be more sustainable about on-site waste? The purpose of this study was to answer this question and determine ways that businesses with large employee counts can create a more sustainable waste stream with a focus on employee behavior. To answer this question, I utilized my internship with Engh Group as a way to observe second hand methods of improving employee waste habits and then supplemented this observational data with a literature review of available information on methods of improving waste behavior in the workplace. Methods of sustainable action can involve many different approaches and levels of upper-level employee involvement, including, but not limited to: increased availability of proper waste receptacles, directly administered employee sustainability trainings, and distributing literature physically or electronically to employees on improving waste habits. In any method, there is a need for action and an overall shared interest in improving the system in question from multiple individuals at various levels.