Earth Day work ideas and activities to protect our planet in a virtual-first world

Since its establishment in 1970, Earth Day has received tremendous support from individuals, corporations, and nonprofits around the world. The day is a celebration of our planet, which means it’s important for us to honor its importance in our lives and seize the opportunity to protect it. Usually, companies go outdoors to spread the word, protect the environment, or organize a cleanup exercise. While some of these activities are not possible because of the limitations on physical activities and the fact that a lot of us may work remotely, there are still many things we can do, in-person or virtual. Whether you’re at work physically, working from home, or operating a hybrid work model, here are ways your company or team can show support towards Mother Nature.

Create a reward-based recycling program at work

Employees create tons of waste each week, all of which find their way into the environment. One of the best ways to honor the environment, especially for in-person teams, is to use Earth Day to create a recycling program. Start by putting recycling containers at vantage points in the office and encourage employees to use these stations to recycle their waste. To make it even more effective, teams can get other employees to volunteer as supervisors to encourage participation in the program. You can also reward employees who can recycle the majority or all of their waste in a month.

Create your own environmental protection task force

Whether you’re operating a 100% remote team or have employees fully working in-person, you can use Earth Day to create a task force that will have the responsibility of helping team members understand the environment by educating others on how to keep it clean or protect it. While this may be on a volunteer basis, companies can graduate the task force to take charge of all sustainability and environmental protection matters, or also provide some reward.

Invite a sustainability expert to speak to your team

Have an expert on sustainability and environmental issues to speak to your team, in-person, or over Zoom. There are many topics to explore, from recycling, climate change, and eco-friendly living, to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Earth Day trivia

Trivia is an excellent activity for your virtual or in-house team to learn interesting facts about the earth. From climate change, wildlife, and conservation to pollution and environmental protection, trivia provides an opportunity for the team to test their knowledge on topics about nature. Start by using Bar None Games’ trivia library to create interesting and educational questions.

Create a green fundraiser

What better day to raise money for a green cause than on Earth Day? Encourage employees to volunteer and find nonprofits or other community-based green programs so your company can raise money towards selected causes. There are various ways to raise money, including organizing a virtual fundraising party or running a promotion for company products or services and using the funds to support a nonprofit. With many online fundraising tools, you can find financial resources to support a green cause in a single day or week with rigorous fundraising efforts.