We feel lucky to walk into the office every day and find it full of fun folks who share a passion for doing the right thing, and doing it sustainably. It might feel like a happy accident, but we strive to cultivate a working environment that lives up to our values.
We want our employees to thrive. After all, you can’t make sustainable foods if your employees live unsustainable lives. Our goal is to foster a safe, ethical, diverse and inclusive workplace, and we continuously work to ensure that our internal programs and policies fit with those values.
Our new employees – we like to call them “bunnies,” of course – often are surprised and delighted by the numerous programs that focus on employee health, wellness, education, and fun.
On any given day you’ll see folks on the team enjoying an on-site gym class – we offer yoga, circuit training, and a bootcamp class to employees, among other classes – picking goodies from our edible organic garden, or playing with a resident pooch. We also have our ALOHAS (
) Champions Team that coordinates company happiness events.
We want our employees to have resources to live holistically and sustainably and to be thoughtful in their own lives, which is why we conduct sustainability education events. Our sustainability team educates employees about significant environmental and social topics. 77% of our employees attended at least 1 of our sustainability education events. In addition, Annie’s provides financial incentives for employees to reduce their overall environmental impact, allowing them to leave their cars at home, switch to fuel-efficient/low emission vehicles, and make energy saving home improvements.
In FY2017, Annie’s employees collectively volunteered with more than 45 organizations both inside and outside of work, from food banks to local urban gardens. 69% of our employees volunteered a total of over 1,000 hours!
Why focus on doing less bad when you can do more good? That’s our approach here at Annie’s, all the way down to the functionality of our building.
We strategically manage our energy usage and implement energy saving practices. As a result of 2016 efforts, we reduced our total energy use at our Berkeley headquarters by 37% in FY2017. We’ve also maintained both LEED Gold and Bay Area Green Business Certifications since 2013. In 2016, we received the “Climate Disruptor” award, recognizing us for our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint.
Our goal is to become a zero waste office and to divert 90% of our Berkeley office waste away from landfill. Last year, we diverted 81% of our total waste from landfill thanks to diligent sorting and smarts on the part of the employees. In FY2017 we decreased the total waste at our Berkeley office by 7%.
Given the scarcity of water in our home state of California, we seek ways to reduce our water use. We track our monthly consumption and incorporate water efficiency practices into our daily operations, from our appliances to our on-site organic garden. Since 2015, we have reduced our annual office water use by 29%.
We wholeheartedly believe in living by example and making an impact here at home. That’s why we’ve made these efforts to reduce our footprint and promote a happy, fun, and healthy work culture for our team. Sound like someplace you’d like to work? We’re always looking for new bunnies to join the team.
