Egyptian company Giza Systems is preparing for a week-long celebration of Earth Day. The company is a well-known system integrator in the region. We contacted Wessam Ghazy, chief officer of Shared Services, for more information on what they have in store. “We communicate the idea of Earth Day to our colleagues, encouraging them to join us in making environmentally friendly activities a day-to-day habit through the entire week. Through daily email shots, we share various changes that are simple enough to apply," explains Ghazy. “It is much easier to get everyone's attention when the event is global. Earth Day is a great opportunity to start the conversation and we plan to take it from there. At Giza Systems we always encourage going green, but Earth Day is such a great opportunity to let everyone know that the entire world is campaigning." Ghazy explained that the weeklong initiative encourages employees to practice eight environmentally-friendly habits: “First, head into work during Earth Week with an environmentally friendly commute. Share a ride with co-workers in their neighbourhood or walk to the office if they live close enough. “Second, go up to their office floor by walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator during Earth Week, to save on energy costs and promote a healthy lifestyle. “Third, turn your computer screen, printer and scanner off when you walk away from your workspace. Remind your co-workers to shut off equipment during breaks and meetings to help the company save on electrical costs. “Fourth, reduce, reuse and recycle all week long. Buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Take a drink container with you (mugs, glass cups, and water bottles), and do not use any disposable plates or cutlery. Carry a cloth bag for carrying your food instead of plastic bags. “Fifth, plan a day out during Earth Week to plant trees in the office neighbourhood. “Sixth, plan a day out during Earth Week to clean up litter. Remove litter from the roads. “Seventh, send educational emails about the environment. “Eighth, print less, only when absolutely necessary. And print on both sides of the paper to save money as well as trees." Ghazy also added that this works into the company's vision: “We adopt an environmental strategy that includes programmes in waste, energy and resource management to minimise its environmental impact and promote a culture of environmental awareness. We rely on green technologies throughout our facility and make sure we use eco-friendly material all year long." The company also recycles its wasted paper by sending them to recycling companies. “We hope that the activities held this week will become a habit for our colleagues, they might actually grow on some people. We constantly encourage these actions, it would be a great accomplishment if they gradually – yet permanently – become part of our culture for good," concluded Ghazy.
