Recently, the Wickanninish Innannounced that the property spearhead another successful beach clean organized by their Sustainability Committee! This beach clean took place on South Chesterman Beach and with everyone’s help, they removed 22 lbs of waste from the beach over the course of 2 hours! How did they pave the path for this success? By empowering their team to make these important decisions through the creation of their own green team. 

In this blog, we explore the first step of the BCHA playbook even further, providing a helpful checklist to guide you in creating your own green team.

Checklist for Creating Your Green Team:

1. Meet with Management:
   • Discuss the BCHA Playbook and its implementation in your organization.
   • Seek management’s support and commitment to the sustainability initiative.
2. Announce the Sustainability Initiative:
   • Management should communicate the initiative to all employees, emphasizing its importance and benefits.
3. Recruit Green Team Champions:
   • Request dedicated individuals, including at least one manager and one to three staff members per department, to join the Green Team.
   • Encourage all employees to participate, fostering a sense of inclusivity.
4. Name Your Green Team:
   • Collaboratively choose a name that reflects your organization’s culture and resonates with team members.
5. Assign Roles and Responsibilities:
   • Delegate roles such as Coordinator or Lead to oversee meetings, agendas, note-taking, and post-meeting summaries.
   • Ensure clear responsibilities for each team member to maximize efficiency.
6. Schedule Your First Green Team Meeting:
   • Set a date and time for regular monthly meetings.
   • Use this opportunity to review the BCHA Playbook and discuss the key steps you’ll be working on.
7. Announce Your Green Team:
   • Share the news of your newly formed or refreshed Green Team through internal communication channels.
   • Consider making a public announcement to showcase your commitment to sustainability.

Pro Tip: Integrating Sustainability into Everyday Operations: Once your Green Team creates a Sustainability Action Plan, integrate it into regular management and team meetings. Use these meetings to share the plan, delegate tasks, report progress, and track milestones. Eventually, sustainability practices should become ingrained in your organization’s culture, just like health and safety.

Creating a Green Team is a crucial step towards implementing sustainable practices within your organization. By following this checklist and leveraging the BCHA Sustainability Playbook, you can empower your team to make environmentally-conscious decisions. Take the first step on your sustainability journey and explore the BCHA Sustainability Playbook through the additional resources tab on the member portal.

To explore the BCHA Sustainability Playbook and unlock valuable resources, visit the member portal and navigate to the additional resources tab. Join the movement towards a more sustainable future for your hospitality business.