Environmental credentials are a factor in job choice for 67%

Nick Elvin

Employers who aren’t working to improve recycling facilities, reduce waste and cut their carbon emissions could be missing out on bringing new talent into their businesses.

That’s according to Nationwide Building Society, who carried out a survey of more than 1,000 people, to find out how important a firm’s environmental credentials were to its employees.

Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed said environmental responsibility was a factor in choosing where to work.

Employers could also be doing more to make it easier to recycle and reduce waste in the office, the survey found, with 51% of those asked saying their organisation could do more to encourage more recycling in the office.

While almost half of those surveyed (49%) said their employers provide recycling facilities, 50% said they want to see clearer instructions on what they can and can’t recycle.

Stephen Uden, head of citizenship at Nationwide, said: “The research shows how fundamental your environmental credentials are in a modern workplace.

“At home, recycling is almost second nature and now employees expect to be able to reduce, reuse and recycle in the office too. As a result, not keeping up with the times could be become a real recruitment barrier.”