Innovation + Responsibility

As I have commented before on this blog, I struggle most days with the question of how to better engage our employees in the "responsibility" conversation that is happening at Sun so that they (1) feel connected to what we are doing and (2) can understand ways in which their actions contribute to our success. To me, this is the holy grail of CSR - because I believe that if every employee understood what our company has committed to doing - whether it's reducing our greenhouse gas emissions or increasing our recycling or protecting the people who make our products - they would (1) really appreciate working for a company that is measuring its impact on the planet and dedicated to improving it and (2) they would want to participate in helping the company reach those goals - who doesn't want to change the world for the better? (Of course there are the naysayers - but I choose not to worry about them too much. I call that maturity. Others call it denial.)

But for some reason, we do not seem to be breaking through. I don't know if it's because of a tendency for employees - not just at Sun, but at every company - to separate themselves into two different people: one who is at work, and one who is not at work. It's almost as if people swipe their badges and as they enter the building, they morph into Sun employee, which is truly just one fraction of who they are. But that persona seems to take over for the hours during which they are on campus.

Why do I think so? Because I am constantly walking around the office (any office I happen to be in) turning off conference room lights behind people who just had a meeting. Chances are these people turn the lights off at home - why not at work? Or how about when I go into a meeting room after someone has been there only to find dirty coffee cups on the table; crumbs left over from someone's breakfast/lunch/snack. I am willing to bet that most people clean up after themselves at home - why not at work?

Well, yesterday afternoon Gabe (our summer intern) and I went to throw out our trash after lunch and I was somewhat appalled by what I saw. But, I have to say, not entirely surprised, based on my "two selves" theory.

First some background:
Our cafeterias in the US are managed by Guckenheimer. As I have mentioned before, Guckenheimer recently undertook an initiative to green Sun's cafeterias - they got rid of the styrofoam, introduced paper packaging, even compostable to-go bags. Just last week they moved from plastic utensils to corn-starch, compostable ones. And the employee response has been tremendous. I have gotten so many emails from Sun employees expressing their pleasure at this new direction for our food services. People have told me how much more likely they are to now eat at the cafeteria! So why...why, I ask...does this happen:

This picture is of the sign above the area in our Menlo Park cafeteria where recyclable bottles and cans should be placed for disposal.

And this is a picture of what was actually in that "Redeemable" bin at about 2pm yesterday afternoon:

Yes, there are some bottles and even a can in there. But mostly I see trash. Piles of trash. Nothing redeemable about napkins, salad containers or plastic cups.

So what gives?

We need to figure this out because without everyone pitching in no matter if they are at work or at home, we are never going to make progress on our environmental challenges. I don't mean as a company (although that goes without saying). I mean as human beings on this earth.