ERIKS Digital Team Launches Green Team

ERIKS Digital is our technology hub established in 2018, a relatively new part of the business but is already embracing our commitment to sustainability. Based in Amsterdam, the 100 strong team work collaboratively across the business to provide a range of Technology solutions and support at the same time as looking at how they can be more sustainable.

The business is based in Amsterdam's “Knowledge Mile” one of the longest streets in the city and a centre for collaboration and innovation. One of the Mile's joint initiatives was to develop a Collective Waste Program (CWP) to decrease waste, increase recycling and minimise the number of trucks needing to visit buildings along the street. Adriaan van der Heijden, Recruiter at ERIKS Digital, was involved in the CWP and collaborated with colleagues to develop the idea of a “Green Team”. The team looks for sustainability opportunities within the business and has received a great response from employees and the executive team.

Green Team representatives are now across all parts of the business and the executives have allocated a budget to support their activities. The Team has been quick to make changes: the lunch provider is now a company that focuses on providing local produce and uses electric vehicles for deliveries; every employee now has a plant on their desk; vegetarian and vegan lunches are organised regularly with many employees bringing in homemade dishes to share; and plastic water bottles have been removed from the offices.

At Christmas, many employees chose to donate to a reforestation program as their gift, leading to the planting of 200 trees. Next on the agenda is making their building more sustainable, with ERIKS Digital working with all the other building occupiers to encourage the owner to invest in solar panels.

We approach sustainability the same way as we build software; continually improving, always looking for better ways of doing things. Our employees are really enthusiastic about sustainability and our leadership really supportive, even giving us a budget so that we can do more. ERIKS has an entrepreneurial mindset and rewards people for taking the initiative, making it a great place to work. For me, working at ERIKs is not just about a job, it's about being part of something bigger – being part of a company that makes more sustainable choices.Adriaan van der Heijden, Green Team representative and Recruiter at ERIKS Digital