Coty, a multinational beauty company headquartered in Wimbledon with around 400 staff, has now embedded sustainability practices across their business by engaging employees in the organisation to create sustainable solutions that benefit and motivate everyone who works there.
Sustainability is one of the six strategic pillars at Coty and a very visible example of this commitment is the new rooftop garden and terrace, designed and created by Coty’s own team earlier this year. The garden, which was named ‘FEAR-LEAVES-LY KIND’ after another of Coty’s brand values to be ‘Fearlessly kind’, is used to grow organic produce such as tomatoes and cucumbers along with herbs which employees can take home and cook with. Recipes are also now being created to give people culinary inspiration. The basis of the design was to not use new where possible – all the palettes used for planting in the garden were just upcycled.
Jodie Rae, UK Facilities Manager for Coty, comments:
The rooftop garden is a great area for the Coty team to be at one with nature and take some time from our busy day to enjoy the outside environment, which is also beneficial to employee mental health.” Jodie is one of a team of employee ‘Coty-vators’ that tend to the garden weekly.
In addition to this initiative, Coty is promoting sustainability and employee well-being throughout their business by placing a pledge tree on their 5th Floor. Employees make pledges regarding their own ability to support sustainable behaviours, and then hang them on the tree, to encourage their commitment to living more sustainably – e.g., cycling into work on a regular basis. Coty employees are also encouraged to keep clothes in circulation with a large clothes swap area within their office, including clothing, shoes, bags and cosmetics. Staff are encouraged to take part in community days and volunteer regularly with Sustainable Merton’s Community Fridge.
“It’s really important to us and our staff are hugely motivated by our sustainability commitments. We’re thrilled to have been nominated for the Community Award at the Merton Best Business Awards this year in reflection of everything we do to make Coty more sustainable” adds Jodie.
