Wednesday 28 September 2022

Water Plus Water Week podcast: Strengthening sustainability steps and action with employees (through staff initiatives and communications)

[caption id="attachment_243675" align="alignright" width="1440"] Image: Shutterstock[/caption]

Tony McHardy, who is a people champion on the Executive Committee and Commercial Director at Water Plus, covers steps the company is taking to help reduce impacts on the environment.

He said: “We used our main office move as a stepping stone to ramp up what we were doing around data gathering around carbon emissions, along with how we were communicating and engaging our employees, and with customers and others.

“We wanted to drive a step change in how we work with natural resources and engage with organisations, to increase water efficiency, including cutting waste water. There are things organisations can do, no matter what their size, by engaging with their employees and the customers they have.”

In March 2021, Water Plus established an Environmental and Sustainability Forum, with representatives across its business, to help drive action and, in June 2021, launched a new environmental area, built inhouse on their Connect intranet, with tips to lower impacts everyone can have on the environment.

The water retailer also provided a reusable cup with a lid to all employees when moving office site in May 2021, with discounts at the on-site café for those using these for hot drinks.

Water Plus was shortlisted for the Communication and Education award at the Better Society Awards 2022 and was named a Finalist for Water Efficiency Project of the Year at the Water Industry Awards 2022. The company also won a Green Apple Environment Award in 2021 for its work raising awareness around water and the benefits of looking closer at its use at sites.

For more examples of successes businesses have around looking closer at water – and advice on action to take check out the future Net Zero information here.