FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Employers’ environmental initiatives, or lack thereof, are directly impacting attraction and retention, according to new research by water dispenser brand, BRITA VIVREAU.
The findings revealed that 80 per cent of office workers say it’s important to them personally that their workplace has targets in place to reduce single use plastic, with 34 per cent wanting their workplace to remove single use plastic, second only to reducing energy usage (39 per cent).
Office workers have made positive environmental changes in their day-to-day lives, with more than a quarter (28 per cent) of office workers never using a single use plastic water bottle. In turn, employees are demanding that the companies they work for also take action be more sustainable – with one-in-three young people rejecting a job over employers’ weak ESG credentials.
The most common measures office workers take at work to reduce single use plastic are using a reusable bottle (63 per cent), using reusable food containers (52 per cent) and using a water dispenser to refill their bottle (47 per cent).
Single use plastic items for hot and cold drinks are a major source of irritation, with office workers being most frustrated by single use plastic cups (39 per cent), plastic lids on paper cups (37 per cent) and plastic bottles (32 per cent). Culminating in 30 per cent wanting their workplace to get a cold or hot water dispenser to lower the environmental impact.
In addition to objecting to certain single use plastic items in the workplace, over a quarter (27 per cent) do not feel encouraged to reduce plastic in office environments. Time (34 per cent) and cost (23 per cent) are the most common challenges workers personally face in reducing single use plastics in their workplace, followed by remembering to bring in a reusable bottle or container (21 per cent), no recycling facilities (21 per cent), not having a water dispenser to make hot beverages (14 per cent) and lack of support from senior management (14 per cent).
Chris Dagenais, General Manager, BRITA VIVREAU UK, said: “Office workers are demanding that their employers demonstrate efforts to reduce single use plastic and adopt more sustainable practices. Organisations that enable and empower employees to reduce their environmental impact could attract and retain workers who are seeking out more environmentally conscious workplaces. By demonstrating a move towards reducing waste, organisations can show they are aligned with their employees’ values and appeal to the new generation of workers.”
The research also found that 86 per cent of business leaders believe their company could be doing more to lower its environmental impact. To help businesses achieve these goals, BRITA VIVREAU has launched a mini toolkit providing actionable insight for businesses to reduce their single use plastic.
With the current economic crisis resulting in higher prices and more of a squeeze on resources, FMs need to ensure that they have robust building and maintenance services in place to control costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs. When it comes to drainage and plumbing there are also the challenges of dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding, the need to meet stringent regulations and to avoid causing environmental damage.
UK drainage specialist, Metro Rod, has launched a survey which explores the main areas of interest for FMs in maintaining drainage and plumbing, including how they currently assess their supply chains to ensure they’re working with partners that meet the highest possible standards and provide value for money.
The results will be published online so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
To take part click here.
