HR Generalist Santiago Chávez knows that being an agent of change can be good both for the environment and business. Two years ago, while waiting to get his morning cup of coffee, he noticed the large amount of disposable products used in the cafeteria.

Not keen on letting opportunities pass, Santiago set up a team to cut back on the number of disposable items being trashed, reducing consumption by 37 percent. Instead of Styrofoam products, the cafeteria now serves food on reusable items, hot beverages in coffee mugs, and desserts on glass serving dishes.

"The team's main reward is helping the environment. A simple and small action can significantly reduce the use of items that can take up to several hundred years to decompose," said Santiago.

Added benefits also include less garbage heading to the landfill and savings of more than $10,000 each month. Santiago is now on the hunt for the next opportunity, and cup of coffee.

Mike Zervos knew there was something amiss when dumpsters being emptied were full but weighing half what they should. The Facilities Manager and his team quickly discovered the culprit: bulky, but light, foam used in the many packages arriving every day at the site. It was a waste of money and environmentally irresponsible.

"I hate to sound cliché, but we were trying to be green before green became cool," Zervos said.

After months of research, the site purchased a machine that melts the foam down to hard, dinner plate-sized pucks. The pucks are then sold to a recycler which creates recycled planters and other items. Besides reducing the site's carbon footprint, the team reduced solid waste volume by 77 percent and saved the site more than $50,000 a year in disposal fees.

As the leader of Jabil Venray's Waste Disposal Team, Gerard van Sambeek saw an opportunity in monitoring the site's bulky piles of cardboard and plastics. His input and participation were fundamental in the onset of the program that analyzes the amount and flow of the waste, and determines how much can be recycled.

"This initiative is important because we are helping to reduce our impact to the environment. We want to keep a good environment for us but also for our children. Through recycling we can reuse the material or give it an alternate purpose," said Gerard.

Jabil Venray has managed to recycle 97 percent of its waste, and as a part of the Do Your 2 program the effort also helps Jabil to reach the 2 percent waste reduction goal.