Office Ethics and Stuff

Dear Julie:  I work in senior management for ORG but previously was an Executive Director for a large regional nonprofit. This transition brought me a bigger paycheck, national-level responsibilities, and a chance to significantly impact the world, but I'm starting to feel like maybe I made a wrong choice.

In my previous life, I was able to make all of the rules for how we worked, including our commitment to recycling, composting, and stretching resources, because we were, well, broke. I remember the first time I ordered office supplies and was nearly faint when I opened up a box of new pens. In my first three years on the job, we used freebie pens and donations from the community for all of our office supplies. I even collected toner cartridges to afford new toner, and we refilled those bad boys ourselves.

At my new job, ORG is ostensibly about sustainability, but I am uncomfortable with its implementation. People order office supplies ALL THE TIME, and I spend at least 30 minutes each week fishing recyclable materials out of the trash bins. No one composts here, so I hauled coffee grounds and meeting leftovers to my own home for composting. The toilet paper is that fancy cushy stuff, and while no one uses single-use water bottles, there's no care given to lunch orders and what they use to deliver our meals.

I'm struggling. I like the job. I really like the paycheck. My family is finally secure, but I have the most challenging time adjusting my own values and ethics to the workspace. 

Ha! You really could be me. I'm starting a new job in a few weeks (going from a regional to a national/international gig), and I am already worried that this will happen. SO, let's talk about how I would handle it because I am nothing if not a dirty, liberal hippie freak.

You're a senior leader at a national org. You can set the tone and make the changes. The phrase you are looking for here is, "I'd like to propose some changes to our operational processes to better align our mission and strategic plan." Then you list out what needs to happen with a phased approach. My suggestions include:

• Compost:  I'm a big fan of vermicomposting (worm bins) and have had them in almost every office I've had for the last decade. However, your colleagues might not appreciate this, so look up whatever the local option is for either a pick up/drop off service or if there's a local farm that accepts compost materials and asks for an hour of staff time each week to make that happen. (Compare the options from a financial perspective so this comes to form the higher-level thing.)
• Recycling:  You're going to need better signage. People are lazy, and they take the path of least resistance. Work with your facilities person(s) to remove most landfill bins and make sure that recycling bins are plentiful and easy to find. Make it HARD to throw things in the landfill bin. If you have to walk across the office every time you want to throw something away, you will think twice about what goes in what bin and your life choices. 
• Office Supply Use:  Honestly, the only way to cut down on this is to cut the budget and set an example. You need toner and such, but what about turning scrap paper into scratch pads and setting up a "just in time" ordering system. Your office manager/administrative support person could be your ally on this. 
• Competitions:  One of the easiest ways to draw attention to how much landfill each person/office creates is to do a waste audit and a recycling/composting competition. Break the office into teams and set up Team A bins and Team B bins. Weigh the bins each night and whoever diverts the most from the stream wins. 
• Sustainability Policies:  Who orders food for events at your office? Put them in charge of writing up a policy that considers sustainability. Give them ALL OF THE CREDIT, ideally at an all-staff meeting where you present them with an award. Ask them to maybe create a scoring matrix for ordering, including things like:
• Does the vendor use local, organic, and sustainable foods?
• Does the vendor deliver the meals via bicycle, electric car, on foot, or public transit?
• Are all delivery materials 100% recyclable? (Extra demerits for polystyrene!) 
• Does the vendor pay a living wage to their staff?
• Does the vendor have a policy that aligns with your organization's human rights policies? 

You see where I'm going with this, right? I'm making you the Senior Vice President in Charge of Sustainability and Other Stuff. You give the CEO the chance to brag about it (and submit a few awards nominations). You might loop in your comms team to document the process so that you can do the humble brag online with donors and supporters.

Hope this helps!