“Being green is not just a part-time job, it's a way of life.”
Bristol-Myers Squibb employees who “burn calories, not oil” and want others to “hear the trees falling” have found graffiti to be an offbeat, spontaneous way to solicit support from co-workers in the company’s Plainsboro, New Jersey, office complex.
“It is green graffiti, so it’s OK,” says Paul, who heads the employee-driven Go Green initiative at Bristol-Myers Squibb‘s US Pharmaceuticals division. “We want people to see that the environment is important to us.”
To encourage day-to-day business practices that protect the environment, the Go Green team recycled avant-garde glass billboards, which had been used for a previous event, and erected them in public areas within the Plainsboro, site with signs atop that read “Make Your Commitment Here to Go Green.” Hundreds of employees used the provided white paint markers to sign-in with environmentally friendly slogans such as “will work for trees,” “buy hybrid,” “reduce paper waste,” and “plant a tree.”
“We are doing the more obvious initiatives: decreasing our use of non-biodegradable disposable cups and cafeteria trays; reducing our purchase of paper; using low suds dish soap in our cafeterias; and encouraging the transfer of our corporate fleet to vehicles that use alternative fuel,” Paul says. “The company is also doing some unexpected things.”
For example, the Information Technology team found that removing screen savers from all employees’ computers saves about 1.8 million kilowatts of energy and $266,000 annually. And, the company’s facilities group is experimenting with no-flush urinals, each of which would save up to 30,000 gallons of water a year.
“This year, we will be encouraging our employees, who can, to cycle to work,” he says. “We are looking into installing new bike racks, lockers and providing access to showers. This effort complements our designation of “hybrid only” parking spaces in prime locations of our Plainsboro garages last year.”
The mark of a next-generation BioPharma leader is to effectively use resources and to integrate sustainability thinking into the corporate fabric. The company has set goals to further reduce use of energy, water and other natural resources while also volunteering to help protect endangered species and habitats in our communities.
“Our Go Green grassroots efforts are succeeding because people at all levels and at all functions are very interested in doing this and feel good about it and are motivated,” Paul says. “Having the support and involvement of our leadership helps strengthen our efforts. The positive response and enthusiasm is overwhelming.”