Do you recycle your boxes? Use energy-efficient coolers? Your Mother Nature-pleasing actions don't just help the "Environment" with a capital "E" but also the environment right there in your shop. Research shows that "green" practices can increase employee retention.

The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) says studies show that 77 percent of Americans consider a company's environmental reputation when choosing an employer but only 21 percent of U.S. workers consider their employer to be "green."

If you go green, make sure your employees are coming along for the ride. SHRM helps them get on board with some suggestions to "Get Your Employees Excited About Sustainability." Tips include having employees come up with realistic goals for the company, track the success of those initiatives and share take-home eco-friendly habits. 

At Belladonna Florist in Eden Prairie, Minn., where 80 percent of the product comes from local growers and owner Regina Cannon Treml created a vase-reclamation program, employees are eager to boast about the shop's eco-friendly activities.

The staff "gets to tell a story and they like having a story to tell," Treml says. "They like to be able to say 'this is grown right up the street.' It gives them something to talk about, which makes it more fun."

To see how Treml makes sure foliage isn't the only green thing about her shop, check out her sustainable savvy and recycle her ideas outlined in "What's Green is Gold," from Floral Management's July 2007 issue.

Want more? Don't miss "Sustainability - Issues and Opportunities for the Floral Industry" at SAF Palm Beach 2008.

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

 


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