Climate change is a critical problem that affects everyone in the world today. Increased greenhouse gas emissions and waste, as well as the use of non-degradable materials such as plastic and polythene, are putting life on our planet in peril. A recent report by the United Nations has concluded that unless governments worldwide reassess their energy policies, the world will become uninhabitable.
Virgin Mobile has made a commitment towards making the world a better place through business and we have committed to promoting sustainability. We believe, quite simply, that it is the right thing to do.
Here are just some of the steps we have taken in our office, to actively promote sustainable practices – so we can all contribute towards making our world a better place.
- Auditing our carbon footprint
Our first step was to identify where we stand in terms of our carbon emissions. We partnered with ElementSix to measure the carbon footprint of our business, including that of the suppliers we use. The audit, now conducted annually, is our way of measuring the progress we are making.
- Conducting a waste audit
We partnered with Farnek to conduct a waste audit. This allowed us to identify the main sources of waste and understand sustainable practices to reduce waste generation where possible.
- Switching to reusable mugs
The audit indicated that single-use disposables within our office were one of the main contributors to waste. So, we swiftly replaced paper cups, cutlery and stirrers with reusable mugs and plates.
- Gifting employees reusable water bottles and coffee cups
We recently gave our employees reusable water bottles and coffee cups, so they could ditch single-use cups. We understand that conscious living is a gradual process that comes with encouragement, education and effort.
- Installing a water dispenser
With the switch to reusable utensils, we knew we had to ensure the source of our water was sustainable too. Therefore, we switched our water bottles to a water dispenser that has the highest-grade filtration possible. And the best part? It dispenses sparkling water!
- Recycling e-waste
As a telecom company, we mainly generate waste in the form of phones, tablets, SIM cards and keyboards. So, we installed an electronic waste bin in the office with Shred-It. The idea was to make sure the e-waste in our office is recycled. It allows everyone to easily discard e-waste and be assured that it would be 100% recycled.
- Limiting energy consumption
We are conscious of the energy consumption in our office. As the first step, we have instructed our night-time cleaners to switch off the office lights during non-working hours once they have finished cleaning.
Stayed tuned to learn more about our sustainability progress, and how you can be a part of it.
