Time to get creative and stop planting these boring trees!

Two weeks ago, I met an elephant biologist. It’s one thing to hear about elephant biologists; to meet one is an event. But I digress.

I was fascinated by what she does so much so that I literally forgot to introduce myself. When I eventually did, she breathed a sigh of relief. On inquiring further on the sigh, she responded that she was happy to hear that I was doing something different as an environmentalist.

“The environment isn’t always about planting trees. We need to be creative.” This one statement showed that I wasn’t the only tired of tree planting.

You see, every time people think about doing something good for the environment, the best they can come up with is planting trees.

PLANTING TREES

While I’m not against the planting of trees, the fact that it’s the only thing we do shows a lack of creativity in environmental conservation projects.

We’ve just started the last quarter of the year. A time where corporates prepare for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.

High on their lists is probably visiting a children’s home or donating food. Very few will think about the environment.

Partly because CSR is viewed as an annual activity instead of something that can be done on a daily basis and as an afterthought.

Something that will be done if there’s enough money at the end of the year to do. At the moment, the environment is a big deal.

More people locally and globally are beginning to demand for better environmental protection. Leading the pack are young people.

FIERCE

The environmental activist of today is young and fierce. This activist is also the same person who makes consumer decisions. That means, as a business, you’ll want to be taking the environment into consideration if you’re to survive the next years.

Having environmental CSR projects is one way to win this customers over. However, it shouldn’t be just about looking good to increase your bottom-line.

Great environmental CSR projects build trust, improve company commendations and brand image but most importantly make an impact.

The good thing about environmental CSR projects is that they can be done all year round.

For example, setting up recycling bins to encourage separation and recycling of waste.

You’ll be surprised at how many offices have one bin for all their trash or how many care less about where the waste they generate ends up.

ENERGY SAVING BULBS

Contracting service providers that mind your waste is a simple year-long CSR project. At the end of the year, they can provide you with a report of how much waste you produced and where it all went. Another way is by replacing plastic stationery and wooden pencils with eco-friendly options; bottle dispensers with bottleless ones, using energy saving bulbs, etc.

These are small modifications that make a huge difference. You can also change how you manage your corporate events/parties.

Events are usually fun but they generate a lot of waste. By improving your event management process, you’re reducing wastage. Such exciting internal changes will have your employees talking outside the office for all to hear and they’ll pride in that.

How about adopting roads for annual cleanups and setting up bins for the public to use and participating in litter removal projects throughout the year, or employees volunteering their time and skills in environmentally geared organizations on the companies tab?

How about sponsoring children’s environmental education? Don’t we need well equipped and informed people to manage the environment of today and the future?

We can’t have problem-solvers unless we create and invest in them. These are just a few creative ways. If we look beyond tree-planting, we’ll find that a lot can be done in the environmental conservation sphere.

Ms Wanjohi is the founder of Mazingira Safi Initiative pwanjohi@ mazingirasafiinitiative.org