From the beginning of 2021, I jumped into a new kind of role in the BBG team when I switched to office duties to help Emma and Anni. (Note, that my spring still has time for work in productions as well – you know who to call..!). Besides my new HR assignments and other work in an office organization I was especially excited about this new assignment I’m about to tell.
I’ve been asked to develop BBG’s environmental strategy together with the team. BBG’s values were pointed out and I get acquainted specially with ecological aspects in our activity. I’m a student of cultural management and I’ve picked up courses like sustainable development and responsible marketing, so this subject is very close to my heart. All BBG’s values have been involved for a long time, but we wanted to bring it up better and, of course, develop ourselves.
In particular, the BBG office team wanted to think about how we can improve our own day-to-day operations. Our small office includes around 50m2 of space and four desks, a compact kitchen and a toilet. Usually in the office we also work in a small group, so the consumption of energy, water or other supplies is not so high. However, in our discussion, it emerged that we want to refine our practices, because we don´t think that it is a question of the size of the organization, but that everyone should play their part. The recycling system in our office is the state of the art and works just fine. We buy detergents only made from natural materials for the office, and this is where the amount of green washing came to the forefront. Of the Super Market’s selection, many bottles seemed like a green choice based on their look, but the official certificates shine with their absence.
To ensure energy savings, we switch off all equipment and power from the extension cords overnight. The lamps are, of course, LED lights. The electricity consumption meter monitors the power consumption of our desks and the total consumption can be monitored on the energy company’s website. I found it very interesting to research and compare the contracts that the energy companies offer.
There’s so many renewable energy sources and different contracts these days. I considered it a good guideline to buy a new kind of renewable energy. Because then you will participate and encourage the industry to develop. Such evolving forms of energy production are, for example, wind and solar power.
Today, the electricity in BBG’s office is also EKOenergy certified! Check out more about EKOenegy here
Vegetarian food is often found in the lunch boxes of the BBG office team, but of course everyone can pack what they want to. However, at future parties and events, we will only offer vegetarian food – and of course a tasty one. Oat milk is also available in the office fridge. There are many oatmeal options in the market, but comparing them is actually challenging. It is difficult to find a reliable research result on carbon dioxide emissions and other environmental effects of oat milk, as it is a relatively new product. We ended up buying a drink made by a domestic producer and oats grown in Finland.
Today, we order coffee from coffee producer Slow – how wonderful it is to support a small and Finnish, responsible coffee company. When choosing honey products, you need to be very careful to find one made in Finland. Many products under the name “Finnish honey” are made abroad. Of course, buying foreign-produced and Fair Trade honey can also be a good choice. But this time we ended up with Finnish organic honey.
During this short time I’ve been able to find out interesting things and to weigh up the ecological alternatives. Here are just a few examples of those thoughts from the last month. Making choices is sometimes complicated and sometimes depends on how you view the issue. A product with a low carbon footprint can sometimes be produced by child labor. Fortunately, certifications help you find better choices and the internet is filled with information and reliable research. And even a small step is great, like repairing a leaking faucet or refueling with renewable diesel fuel. Always remember that inquiring a more environmentally friendly option from a company is worthwhile. It sends a signal to companies that better choices are needed. It’s important that ecological way of thinking becomes a part of normal behavior without making one anxious or cranky.
And to all of you interested in this topic, I highly recommend you to apply for jobs in companies that have the same values as you. What a pleasure it is to work in BBG gang where I learned new things about ecology and where ideas can be shared together. For sustainability is eternal learning for all of us!