Keeping that spark of interest alive in your company’s sustainability efforts, especially after a busy festive period or a wind down for the seasonal break can be tough. Let’s start thinking how we can keep that spark over the festive season and into 2023.
We spoke to a range of our customers to find out what works for them to pass on the gems to you.
Tip 1: Showcase your company’s sustainability efforts (and results.)
Your team is more likely to be inspired by and committed to your company’s sustainability efforts if they understand why you are doing it – and if it is working!
Orderly can also show just how much of an impact your teams’ efforts have on real food waste, real profit, and their location’s success, and can even show how they stack up against competitors in the area. Instead of keeping this rich data squirrelled away, bring it to life.
Tip 2: Commit to just three or fewer business changes for the year ahead
A study by Bain & Company showed that businesses that make just a few big changes are more likely to succeed than those that make many small tweaks. The same applies to sustainability, that new diet, or giving up your bad habit (scrolling well past bed time, anyone?)
This is why Orderly is so successful for businesses. By showing one thing at a time that is affecting a sustainability score and the steps needed to get where you need to go, we make it super simple for your team to digest and act.

Tip 3: Set an achievable timeframe for any changes you plan to make
A year sounds like plenty of time to meet a new goal – but 365 days goes fast.
A year has around 313 working days – and don’t forget we all have bank holidays, staff absences, training days and many other variables to contend with. You might have a goal to cut back on the waste you have entering rubbish bins, or to reduce your waste collections. But remember that change takes time to implement and to come to fruition. Studies into the time it takes to change a habit show that it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to change their behaviour – never mind a team.
Make sure you give yourself and your team enough time to get used to new processes without putting too much pressure on any individual. The last thing you want is staff feeling like they can’t meet an impossible target and giving up
Tip 4: Keep gamifying the process
When we first implement Orderly in a business, team members are often very fired up and passionate about how they work and how they could have positive effect on the wider world. It’s critical to keep momentum up, which is why design our software to gamify the process.
Here are some interesting studies on gamification and real world results:
- A study study found that normative messaging increased the re-use of towels in hotel rooms – the most effective message for driving behavioural change? 75% of guests who stayed in this room used their towels more than once.
- A company called Opower equipped homes with sensors enabling residents to compare their household energy consumption with their neighbours, and broadcast their achievements on Facebook, saving 2 tera-watt hours of electricity in the area!
- When given eco-driving feedback via a web application, particpiants on one study ‘significantly’ reduced energy consumption as compared to baseline or mere feedback regarding energy consumption. Participants also showed a habituation to eco-driving after removal of the strategies.
Tip 5: Listen to your team
Often if a team say it can’t be done, that’s not them just being negative, it’s them being realistic. We’ve all been in a work setting where we’ve had an idea that we think is great, but when we run it by our colleagues, they quickly shoot it down. It can be disheartening, but instead of getting upset, try and see it from their point of view. They might not have seen the changes, technology or support you will also be adding to help them meet their targets. They might be inspired when they see how other businesses have done exactly what you are asking them to do. Listening is the best way to learn, so keep those ears peeled!
If you’re ready to kickstart a more inspiring 2023, we’d love to show you how Orderly could help you.
Get a demonstration of our products in action and see how we’ve helped brands like Morrisons, Starbucks and many more. Click here to book your 2023 call.
