If your company has a reputation for being eco-friendly and environmentally conscious, it’s important that you carry this theme through everything you do. There is a very good chance that your eco credentials are a huge part of the reason that your employees love working for you, so you have a commitment to uphold this approach to ensure everyone is happy.

It can be difficult to choose environmentally-friendly team building exercises when so many can feel like they are founded on being wasteful or just not focused on a positive outcome. If you’re planning to get a group of people together, it’s a great idea to kill two birds with one stone and encourage them to take part in an activity that will have  a positive impact.

Let’s explore why team building is so important for companies and how you can choose activities that will reflect your commitment to being eco-friendly a force for good in the world.

The importance of team building

Team building is a great way to bring your employees together and help to improve cohesion within your workers. 

It can improve communication and make it easier for employees to relate to one another. It can also help to break down barriers between departments and encourage collaboration. Finally, it’s also a great way to onboard new individuals and quickly break the ice so they can feel like part of the team.

Now that we understand the importance of team building activities, let’s look at some of the activities you could try that will have a positive impact. These eco-friendly team building activities will have a positive impact on your teams and on the planet. 

Why choose eco-friendly activities?

There are a few reasons you might want to pick eco-friendly activities for your team building time. If your company is known for its commitment to environmental responsibility, it could be part of your brand, and your employees might expect it.

When you choose an eco-friendly activity that has a positive impact, you can increase engagement from your employees as they will see the wider benefit of taking part. The focus is firmly on how they are helping or giving back, rather than on the forced fun or engineered social situations that can make some people guarded and uncomfortable.

The focus remains firmly on the environmental engagement and how they are giving back, so the team building becomes the secondary benefit. Here are some suggestions you could try to help improve cohesion within your teams while also doing good for the planet.

Community gardening

There’s no shortage of community gardening projects around the country that need corporate support to keep going. There is no competition and no winning in gardening, just  a sense of working together towards a common goal. Gardening can also be very relaxing and therapeutic, which can help to lower stress levels and improve workplace mental health.

Clean-up volunteering

A clean-up project such as litter picking or removing graffiti can help to improve your local area and give back while also fostering a sense of inclusion and unity. This is another eco-friendly project that isn’t competitive, but it can still bring people together towards a common goal. Make this a regular project to help firmly place your company name at the heart of local volunteering and outreach programmes. 

Charity cycling

A charity bike ride offers so many benefits for teams and for the planet. First, you’ll encourage everyone to ditch the cars and start cycling to work in preparation for the race. This could inspire some people to give up their cars for good and kickstart a healthy new lifestyle that includes cycling to work every day.

It’s also a great way to bring people together. The purpose is not for one person to win the race over everyone else, the idea is that everyone works together to make sure they cross the finish line together. It’s also a unique opportunity that people might not think to challenge themselves to complete on their own, but tackling it alongside work colleagues can make the challenge fun and accessible.

Lunch and learn

The purpose of a lunch and learn is to provide a learning environment that is fun and engaging while giving teams a space to break away from their usual daytime routine. This can help to inspire new conversations that might not happen in the usual work setting. 

By centering the ‘lunch and learn’ topic around something related to the environment, you can have  a positive impact while also helping to engage your employees on a subject they care deeply about. Make sure you provide lunch options that are sustainably sourced and good for the environment by partnering with a catering company that shares your passion for an eco-friendly approach.