A few days ago I was at work (I work at a well-known fashion retailer) and my coworker and I started talking about how wasteful our store was.
Specifically, what sparked this conversation was when we noticed how much paper was in the garbage can. When we receive shipments of clothing (a few times a week), we usually receive a lot of packaging paper or bubble wrap stuffed in the boxes too. The norm of how to deal with this paper is to just chuck it out in the garbage bin, since we don’t even have a recycling bin. My coworker and I have commented on how easy it would be to just start a new bag for recycling but management usually just shrugs it off by saying it’s just easier and quicker to not have to sort our trash. This is not the only instance when I’ve come across a situation at work that has left me feeling confused why we’re not being more sustainable when there are such easy fixes.
I’m sure there are more workers other than the two of us who care about being environmentally friendly, but perhaps we don’t strongly advocate it enough. I think it’s a very good example of how sustainability and important values in large organizations must be communicated from top-down; i.e. top management must live, breathe and speak these values in order for them to trickle down to front-line associates such as myself. I feel as though some employers care so much about sales productivity that they are not making the trade-off to minimize their environmental impact.
Another interesting thing to note is that we provide paper shopping bags for our customers’ purchases, but numerous times customers have “complained” and asked why we don’t have plastic bags because they’re sturdier, easier to carry and won’t get wet in the rain, etc. but I have always replied bluntly (and managing a smile): “Well this is more environmentally friendly” (and in my head I’m thinking “Are you kidding me?”).
I realize I’m ranting a bit here when instead I should be making a change. So I searched up “sustainability in the workplace” and found this site on “Greening the Workplace“. I think I’m already on the first item which is “auditing current practices” – just being aware of what we’re doing “wrong” right now is a big first step. Even though many fashion retailers have sustainability as a section on the website, it’s really time to move away from being “all talk” and aspiring to be sustainable, and instead let their actions speak for themselves.
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