Are you looking for creative Earth Day ideas for work? You’re not alone—over 1 billion people across 190 countries have united to celebrate Earth Day since 1970, honoring the modern environmental movement.
This guide features our favorite Earth Day ideas for workplaces of all kinds, ranging from fun scavenger hunts to charitable cleanups and more. But first, a bit more about Earth Day.
About Earth Day
Earth Day falls on April 22nd each year. Recently, more companies have begun launching green initiatives to help save the Earth and reduce their footprint. It has been a holiday since 1970 and increases in popularity every year.
By the Numbers: Why We Need Earth Day
Studies show that just 100 companies are responsible for over 71% of global greenhouse emissions, significantly contributing to global warming and other negative environmental impacts.
Check out these alarming statistics from Rubicon about the impact the United States has on the planet:
- Lots of waste: Americans make up roughly 5% of the world’s population but generate nearly 40% of the world’s total waste
- Tons of trash: In a lifetime, the average American will leave a legacy of 90,000 pounds of trash for future generations
- Too much packaging: Nearly one-third of the waste generated yearly in the United States is from product packaging
Why Companies Should Care About Earth Day
The Earth provides us with air, water, food, and an environment in which to live, and protecting it is what’s best for current and future generations. Earth Day serves as an annual reminder that you can help the planet with small, regular actions.
But why should companies care about Earth Day corporate activities? Here are just a few of the many reasons:
1. Cost Savings
Reducing the consumption of energy, water, and waste in the office ultimately leads to saving money and resources that can be used elsewhere.
It’s easy to cut costs with simple changes like not heating an empty office or installing lights that detect motion. As a bonus, you’re also protecting the planet and demonstrating that your business cares about the Earth!
2. Consumer Values
Focusing on your environmental footprint as a company creates a positive brand image in the minds of consumers.
According to BusinessWire, sustainability is one of the most important purchase criteria for at least 60% of global consumers. It shows over 30% of consumers are open to paying a higher price for sustainable products.
This study also suggests that sustainability is likely to become “the expectation and not the exception in the future.”
3. Employee Engagement
Earth Day offers a chance to show your employees that you care about the environment. By establishing sustainability as a core value, companies can attract and retain top talent while improving their global footprint.
After all, today’s employees are no longer just looking at job titles and pay. Gen Z and Millennials are set to make up the majority of the workforce by 2029. These generations prioritize job offers based on flexibility, benefits, and responsible companies.
How To Start Making an Impact
If you’d like your company’s actions to have a positive impact on our planet, one of the biggest challenges can be knowing where to start. Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to begin to shape your new company initiatives.
The most important thing to remember is even the smallest contribution is still a step in the right direction. Here are a few simple ways your office can work towards being eco-friendly:
- Work towards going paper-free
- Install a bottle-filling station to reduce plastic waste
- Have clearly marked trash and recycling bins around the office
- Make use of natural light
- Don’t heat or keep lights on in an empty office
- Use sustainable packaging materials
- Set goals to reduce your carbon footprint
As you decide how to celebrate Earth Day at work, consider launching a company-wide impact plan to integrate these changes. This gets everyone involved so that they’re aware of how you’d like to adjust your corporate culture to protect the planet.
Check out more ways your office can go green here.
Our Top 10 Earth Day Ideas for Work
Whether your company is ready to commit to an impact plan or not, these Earth Day team building activities can still show your commitment to the planet.
From working together to save the bees to planting trees and learning about climate change, these ideas offer a variety of ways to work together to build a better tomorrow.
1. Impact Online
Event type: Virtual
With Impact Online, we aim to inspire teams to make meaningful, specific changes and take action towards a more sustainable future.
While working through fun challenges, your team will learn how they can make meaningful changes that support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals published by the United Nations.
Team points are converted into donations to the Buy1Give1 charity—also known as B1G1—a 501(c)(3) organization working in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
2. Clean Water Connection
Event type: In-person
The Clean Water Connection program is one of our most popular Earth Day ideas for work. It offers a meaningful, hands-on approach to impacting communities around the world with clean water.
In just a few hours, your team has the power to change someone’s life for generations. They’ll participate in fun, engaging activities that demonstrate how water filtration works and the importance of clean water. These include:
- Building water filters for those in need
- Experiencing an authentic water walk ceremony
- Transforming dirty water into drinkable water
The final step gives participants a chance to write directly to people who will receive the water filters they built. The filters are then delivered by a nonprofit that’s committed to supporting life and dignity for all through the power of clean water.
3. Save the Bees Project
Event type: Virtual, in-person
Looking for Earth Day office ideas that promise fun, social impact, and learning? The Save the Bees Project is a fantastic choice—your team will begin by learning about the impact and mission of TeamBondingCSR’s nonprofit partner, The Bee Cause Project.
But we don’t use some boring lecture or hand out pamphlets no one will remember—we make learning fun with a team building trivia-style game show known as Almost Anything Goes!
This Earth Day idea for work will test your team’s knowledge and improve team interaction, all while promoting awareness to save the bees.
Each team member will receive a build-it-yourself kit to create a mason bee house, plant a wildflower garden, and build a save-the-bees awareness bracelet to commemorate this shared experience.
They’ll also do a honey tasting of four different locally sourced honey samples—trust us, Earth Day activities for adults are even more enjoyable with treats!
4. Tree Planting
Event type: Virtual, hybrid, in-person
Trees are essential to life on Earth, and the more of them we plant, the better the planet can thrive. With our Tree Planting event, you can get your team excited about your Earth Day ideas for work while you and your team make a lasting positive impact.
Your team will learn how trees provide an important habitat for wildlife and are fundamental to many ecosystems. Each participant will also:
- Receive a build-it-yourself kit
- Build origami planting pots
- Get their hands dirty
- Plant seeds that will eventually grow into pine trees
Volunteers will have the opportunity to plant two trees by digitally planting a tree in a region of their choosing.
5. Do Good Bus
Event type: In-person
Want to wow your team with exciting Earth Day activities for work? Hop on the Do Good Bus, and let us do the rest. We’ll keep things fun on the ride to a mystery location with trivia, music, and games before everyone gets hands-on to make a positive impact.
This is a great team building activity to celebrate Earth Day as your team works together to support an environmentally-friendly cause. They’ll do good together and learn about their community.
Working side-by-side, your team will forge lasting, authentic connections and end the day knowing that they made a difference together.
Let us know if you have an organization or event you’d like to support. In the past, we’ve done kindness rocks, gardening activities, park clean-ups, and more.
6. Mad Dash Scavenger Hunt
Event type: In-person
Want an Earth Day work activity that’s as thrilling as it is sustainable? The Mad Dash Scavenger Hunt is a perfect choice!
This high-tech hunt is designed to be eco-friendly while maximizing fun for your team. Each team just needs a smartphone to download the app and view the interactive map—making this a zero-emission Earth Day activity!
Your team will get to experience a fast-paced adventure around the location of your choice, taking memorable photos and videos along the way.
Whether they’re hunting down a state quarter, creating optical illusions, or answering company-specific trivia, they’ll be improving teamwork and problem-solving skills the whole time.
Let us know if there’s any specific theme you’d like to emphasize. In the past, we’ve done sustainability-themed challenges focusing on things like capturing waste-reducing actions, recycling bins, eco-friendly businesses, litter cleanups, and green commuting.
7. Donation Station
Event type: In-person
With the Donation Station, your team can have an impact through corporate giving as they make a meaningful difference. It guarantees a day of fun, excitement, and giving back to the community.
This customizable event will get your team to work together as they assemble one of the following kits:
- Green Living Starter Kit
- Urban Gardening Kit
- Sustainable Hygiene Kit
8. EcoPitch
Event type: In-person
Get your team excited with the hands-on EcoPitch corporate sustainability challenges. They’ll develop real-world environmental solutions through interactive activities and a final pitch, fostering awareness, teamwork, and creative problem-solving.
You won’t find any dull seminars and boring information here—your team will enjoy a fun-filled day of interactive challenges and collaborative activities as they find creative solutions to real-world environmental issues.
This program is designed to improve team dynamics, fuel creative thinking, and empower your team to become sustainability champions.
9. Climate Change Challenge
Event type: Virtual
The Climate Change Challenge is one of our most popular virtual Earth Day ideas for work. In this fun event, your team will tackle climate-related challenges and collaborate on sustainable solutions while improving valuable professional skills.
At the end of the event, they’ll also have the option to convert points into donations supporting environmental initiatives. What better way to make sure they end the day knowing they’ve done good for the planet?
10. Custom Programs
Event type: Virtual, hybrid, in-person
At TeamBonding, we want to help you and your team reach your goals no matter what they are! We’re always happy to design custom team building experiences based on your budget, time frame, team size, goals, location, and themes.
For example, we currently have an exciting custom program coming up where the team will be building planter boxes with fruit and vegetables for a local charity. Other options could include:
- Creating a pollinator garden outside your office or on the rooftop
- Eco-friendly office decor challenges
- Building a herb and vegetable garden for a local school
- Making DIY bee and butterfly habitats
- Setting up an office composting station
- Running an electronics recycling drive
The possibilities are endless, so let us know what you have in mind! If you’re not sure, one of our local facilitators would be happy to help you brainstorm some ideas.
Get Started With These Earth Day Ideas for Work
Earth Day is a wonderful opportunity to inspire action and contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future for generations to come.
By celebrating and taking part in fun and engaging team building Earth Day activities, we can encourage employees to take small steps towards a greener workplace and world.
Join forces with us and get in touch for help on how to celebrate Earth Day with fun and engaging Earth Day work activities for your team.
