Green lunch lotteries, free menstrual cups and bikes instead of cars. These are some of the things we’re doing at Telavox, in our quest for a more sustainable lifestyle.
Small things add up
When the UN announced the environmental goals of Agenda 2030, we decided it was time for us to take a look at our own organisation, and explore how we could reduce our CO2 emissions.
This has resulted in several initiatives, some large and some smaller ones. But even seemingly small actions add up when taken by a large number of people.
This means that together, we can actually make a difference! It may sound a bit cheesy, but it’s true.
Here’s a list of 10 things we’re doing at Telavox, to become a greener and more sustainable company:
1. We don't serve meat, and we reward green lunch boxes
We don’t serve meat at company events. Not even meatballs for Christmas! We’re also about to try out gamification, to encourage more veggies and less meat in general. Our plan is that every time someone brings a vegetarian lunch box to work, they will receive a straw for a food lottery where free, green lunches at a nearby restaurant are raffled.
2. We've built a "free food"-station to reduce food waste
This is one of our newest additions to our green toolbox: A Free Food Station! It’s basically a photo booth for leftovers, inspired by the MIT FoodCam. Whenever there are leftovers in any form, you simply put them here and push the button. Boom – an image of the goodies that are up for grabs is instantly shared in our free food channel in Telavox.
Fun fact: This station was built by our brilliant colleague Maria Blomberg, who is also the genius behind www.co2diet.org. Check it out!
3. We offer all co-workers a free Flowcup
The Flowcup is an environmentally friendly period protection alternative. It can be used over and over again for up to 5 years. One person opting for a menstrual cup spares the environment from more than 10,000 disposable menstrual protections during a lifetime!
4. We travel less and opt for virtual meetings
We’ve spent many hours developing the perfect collaboration tool, complete with chat, phone and video conferences. We call it Telavox, and we use it all the time. A great collaboration tool effectively reduces the need to travel, while also saving time, money and reducing emissions. Instead of getting in the car to meet prospects and clients, our sales team hold an increasing number of meetings and demos online.
5. We use Deedster to learn and to challenge each other
Deedster is a cool app that allows you to create challenges and invite your co-workers to participate. Deedster’s carbon footprint calculator gives you an overview of your consumption’s impact on the planet so that you can compare it with friends, colleagues or the Paris agreement. So far we’ve only used Deedster in Sweden – the next step is a new, company-wide challenge.
6. We buy second-hand office furniture
We love our colourful office, and even more so knowing that the furniture here is bought second hand. Why buy new when used will do?
#7. We recycle our waste
Trece's award-winning products are both nice to look at and nice to the environment.
This one’s a given, but we still want to mention it – if only for the chance to show you our beautiful waste station from Trece!
8. We choose trains over planes
Sure, it’s often quicker to fly. But we’ve learned to enjoy the slower pace of trains, providing undisturbed time to work, think and (shhh!) even take a nap. So when we travel, we aim always to choose the most environmentally friendly means of transport.
9. We invest in Trine for climate compensation
Through Trine, we invest in solar energy projects in growing markets. Trine is on a mission to facilitate investments in sustainable businesses around the world. Or as they put it: “Our mission is to give people a triple return on investment – earn a profit while making a social and environmental impact.”
10. We offer plenty of vegan alternatives to dairy products
We love our coffee. We drink A LOT of it. And thanks to our fridge being stacked with oat milk, soy milk and other green options, an ever-growing number of Telavoxers have given up dairy – at least for their office cuppas.
What do you to be more climate-friendly?
We’re always looking for new ways to become a more sustainable company. If you have ideas to share or examples of fun things that your company is doing – please tag us on social media and tell us. Let’s inspire each other!
