New Zealand Post seeks to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency through staff engagement

In 2016 New Zealand Post initiated a new campaign called ‘Let’s sort it’, through which it encourages and helps its staff to reduce waste and make efficient use of energy. The campaign aims to:

  • Raise employee awareness of the achievements New Zealand Post has made in this area in the past.
  • Reinforce the message that employees need to keep doing their part.
  • Show employees how they can get involved in reducing waste and using energy more efficiently.

Engagement takes place via the internal distribution of videos and other information on a quarterly basis. Staff also receives encouragement and feedback on their site’s performance, as well as resources to help facilitate improvements.

This initiative was started as New Zealand Post recognised that waste and energy efficiency are areas where the post could improve performance and that this could be achieved through effective staff engagement. This is because:

  • Waste and energy are tangible inputs and outputs that staff can directly influence.
  • Staff were already seeking feedback from management about how their sites were performing in these areas and were keen to understand the steps that could be taken to make improvements.
  • Surveys had indicated that staff were unaware of New Zealand Post’s past achievements in reducing waste and energy
    consumption.

The campaign is ongoing, and although it is currently too early to assess its impact, New Zealand Post expects the benefits of this initiative to be considerable. In addition to reduced levels of waste to landfill and increased energy efficiency, other expected benefits include: increased staff engagement on sustainability, improved staff morale and pride in their work, as well as the generation of new ideas about how the Group can improve efficiency.