Starting with 8.5 tonnes of general waste going to landfill, the Fresh Olive Company implemented an environmental campaign to achieve zero landfill status. Being a food manufacturer with 130 employees it was imperative the employees get on board and fully back the initiative. This was both an environmental and internal communications challenge. Working closely with Veris, they developed a creative stakeholder communications programme – Ready, Steady, Green! that was fun and resulted in operational improvements. The programme educated and inspired employees to do more with less through interactive workshops and visual communications tools. The interest and enthusiasm of the employees is maintained with additional seasonal campaigns. The results were impressive, with green behaviours being embedded as a central focus of the business. Zero landfill status has been achieved, items have been donated to local charities and inedible food waste is now sent to Anaerobic Digestion which saves an impressive amount of carbon. Together, they proved that sustainable behaviours don’t need to be tedious or boring. Presented by Stuart Goodman, stakeholder engagement specialist, Veris Strategies

1. READY
,
The Belazu Ingredient Company in partnership with Veris
Driving CR with Internal
Communications
STEADY, GREEN!

2. Our Partnership
The Belazu Ingredient Company
⁄Supplier of premium, authentic Mediterranean products to the food industry, including olives,
oils, antipasti and pesto.
Veris
⁄Designs and implements sustainability programmes for business. Results are built through
engaging the whole business from the ‘inside out’, delivering unique green visions for CSR
ambitious companies.
Working in partnership since November 2012 to embed sustainable behaviours across
the business as a central focus and responsibility of every member of the team.

3. Partnership Objectives
⁄Drive sustainability across the Belazu Ingredient business
⁄Engage and motivate all key stakeholders on the sustainability plan, supporting operational and
commercial improvements.
⁄Capture and reward positive actions that can be shared across the site to inspire and motivate
others, to share knowledge and foster collaboration as a learning organisation.
⁄Position The Belazu Ingredient Company as a leader in environmental sustainability with
impeccable green credentials.
⁄Raise awareness amongst key target audiences whilst cementing leadership status for
competitive advantage via awards, accreditations and partnerships.

4. Internal Comms Framework
⁄Link environmental ambitions and targets to the local community and people angle to resonate more
with employees
⁄Be as creative and visual as possible – often fairly dry stats and information to cascade out
⁄Be honest and transparent – authenticity is key
⁄Connect the action and result to the individual – show shared benefit for collective impact
⁄Maintain the momentum – regular communications and updates
⁄Make it interactive – voting, feedback, pledges, challenges, reward & recognition
⁄Involve all levels of management – prove commitment at senior level on an ongoing basis
⁄Use different communication mediums – understand best route by employee group eg digital or
print, face to face etc
⁄Measurement – annual impact assessment via surveys and tracking employee involvement

5. Introducing…Ready, Steady, Green!
A bespoke Green identity & engagement strategy to drive operational
improvement
Ongoing Communications
⁄Monthly sustainability workshop to enhance environmental know-how & promote collaboration &
knowledge share.
⁄Monthly Eco Angel reward & recognition programme (peer nominated).
⁄Monthly ‘Fresh Olive Go Green’ communication board as consistent, accessible information hub.
⁄Bi-annual seasonal roadshow, celebrating success and re-engaging with the wider team to maintain
recycling momentum.
28 Eco
Angels!

6. Introducing…Ready, Steady, Green!
A bespoke Green identity & engagement strategy to drive operational
improvement
MONTHLY RECYCLING
PERFORMANCE
GREEN TEAM INFORMATION
MONTHLY TOPICAL PIECEECO ANGEL INITIATIVE

7. Introducing…Ready, Steady, Green!
A bespoke Green identity & engagement strategy to drive operational
improvement
Summer Campaign 2014

8. Introducing…Ready, Steady, Green!
A bespoke Green identity & engagement strategy to drive operational
improvement
Christmas Campaign 2014
Coming soon…Summer Campaign 2015…

9. Ready, Steady, Green! Achievements
Transformational results… 19% to 90% average monthly recovery rate
100% inedible food waste sent to
Anaerobic Digestion
Carbon savings via Anaerobic
Digestion – 99 tonnes
Average monthly waste
production – 15 tonnes
Average monthly recovery rate
– 90%
Zero waste to landfill within 1 month
of programme launch
10% materials used to create
renewable energy
*Figures shown November 2012-March 2015

10. Ready, Steady, Green! Achievements
Strengthened ties with the local community through donation of surplus, fit for
consumption food items
156 tubs of Olympia olives to
Weldon Activity Centre, a day
care centre for disabled adults in
Harrow. They used the olives to
make olive bread!
3 dolavs of bread to Regeneration RISE in
Ealing, who tackle isolation within the local
elderly population through their
community lunch and activity days.
96 tubs of Belazu Vinci snack olives
donated to the Best Before Project,
awaiting distribution to local
community groups from their
Northwood Hills facility.
1,800 tubs of
olives donated.
Here’s some
highlights…

11. Ready, Steady, Green! Achievements
MRW Corporate Recycler of the Year
9 industry awards!

12. Ready, Steady, Green! Achievements
All thanks to the commitment of The Fresh Olive team
Engagement in Action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqVgnqS7U6k
Very little material goes to waste
2012: 10%
2014: 65%
Environmental communications are
very clear
2012: 56%
2014: 83%
My colleagues are committed to
recycling
2012: 90%
2014: 100%
⁄ Bi-annual Eco Surveys to track
progress & capture any Bright
Green Ideas:

13. Our Learnings
Our ongoing sustainability journey remains focused on continuous
improvement opportunities around behavioural change
1. Understand the drivers that motivate action for your teams
2. Tailor messages and benefits for personal relevance to the audience
3. Balance long-term and short-term sustainability goals
4. Create strategies for long-term relationships with customers
5. Make those claims bullet proof, through substantiation
6. Make sure your sustainability activities relate to core business values
7. Use storytelling and compelling messages to communicate and engage people
8. Tell people the good and the bad for full transparency
9. Benchmark and measure to build commitment and implement improvement
10. Demonstrate what you are talking about, prove you are doing the things you
say.
11. Use creativity and design to make sustainability information more interesting
and exciting
12. Communicate in a fun and entertaining way to engage people and encourage
the message to be spread
13. Use simple, jargon free language that is to the point
14. Understand who it is you’re talking to and what tone will be most effective.
15. Employees are actively motivated and rewarded