We all remember growing up and constantly being reminded by our parents and teachers to recycle our soda cans or turn off the lights when we left a room. And, as we grew older, phrases like “going green” or “eco-friendly” became familiar. Various ways to promote environmental sustainability such as these have been ingrained in our brains since a young age.
At Cuebiq, we are true believers that, even in the workplace, taking steps to promote environmental sustainability will have a huge positive impact on future generations. So, to ensure we’re doing our part, three like-minded Cuebiqers — James Callahan, Clare Cosgrove, and Jessica Weinberg — founded the Cuebiq Green Team, or CGT for short.
I recently sat down with these leaders of CGT to learn what the organization is all about, why they are passionate about the cause, and the ways CGT helps promote and build awareness to create a more eco-friendly office environment.
Cuebiq Green Team & Its Mission
Established in May 2019, CGT’s primary mission is to bring a variety of green initiatives into Cuebiq’s office environment in order to create a sustainable future. In doing so, it hopes to make the office as eco-friendly as possible, while still maintaining a fun and comfortable environment for all employees.
When asked what motivated them to form CGT, Cosgrove responded, “I love that CGT gives us the opportunity to help a greater cause and get others involved, too! I believe it’s important to have other things going on at work outside of day-to-day tasks, especially when it brings others together. Most of us aren’t thinking about how small actions during the day contribute to a greater issue. By starting a Green Team initiative here at Cuebiq, we’re able to educate ourselves further and spread awareness throughout the company in a fun and effective way.”
Green Awareness Month
In August, CGT presented their first annual Green Awareness Month. During this time, employees were given weekly opportunities to get involved and make a difference.
Recycling Tour
The first event was a field trip outside the office —and into another borough — to one of NYC’s recycling plants, Sims Municipal Recycling (SMR) in Brooklyn. “The recycling plant tour really opened my eyes to recycling and everything that goes into the recycling process. It was remarkable to see the tremendous number of materials that are recycled by the planet every day, and seeing that made me realize how much more of an effort everyone needs to make to reduce the use of materials,” said Callahan.
Reusable Water Bottles
The following week, employees were encouraged to eliminate plastic water bottle waste by bringing in a reusable water bottle — like our Cuebiq branded S’well bottles! This event had nearly 100 percent of the office taking part!
Showing of Our Planet
Next up was an evening spent watching an episode of Our Planet and, of course, munching on some popcorn. For those who aren’t familiar, this wildly popular Netflix nature documentary series addresses the impact humans have on animal conservation. Weinburg noted, “I personally got super into the environment after watching Our Planet on Netflix. It is devastating to see what is happening to the environment and knowing that even the smallest changes can make a big difference.”
Plant Day
In the final week, CGT hosted a potting class where employees decorated pots and planted succulents. While the main outcome was increasing oxygen flow in the office, these plants also added some vibrancy to our desks!
Daily Green Initiatives
In order for Cuebiq employees to make a quick impact daily, CGT also implemented several green initiatives that are sure to have long-lasting effects.
Proper Recycling
Since recycling is one of the easiest ways to ensure environmental sustainability, educating us on how to properly recycle was one of the first initiatives taken on by the team. Clearly labeling the blue and green recycle bins and sending out occasional email reminders helped us remember to recycle at work, as well as underscored the negative environmental impact of not recycling correctly.
Energy Reduction
There are also several easy ways to reduce energy on a day-to-day basis, which we’ve made an effort to implement. These include turning off the lights when leaving the office and, again, utilizing reusable water bottles.
Water Taste Test
To make learning more fun and interactive, CGT invited us to a water taste test, where we blindly compared tap, bottled, and machine-filtered water. They also tested the pH balance and Total Dissolved Sediment, or TDS, indexes, and informed us of the importance of each.
In eight short months, CGT has already seen great success — but its work doesn’t stop there! In order to keep the momentum going, future plans include additional recycling education, trivia night, and even volunteer activities.
Are you ready to work for a company where you can bring a personal passion into your workplace to make a lasting impact? Make sure to stay up-to-date on job postings by visiting Cuebiq’s career page!
