As marketplace values shift, business leaders are increasingly being pressured to consider their organizations’ environmental impact. Smart executives are incorporating environmental sustainability as well as sound business practices into their daily operations; however, it’s ultimately up to employees to make the behavioral changes needed to make a real difference. This is why environmental initiatives must start from the ground up. “Sustainability is a huge issue at the moment, and how companies choose to act now will undoubtedly affect their future growth in a very real way,” says Sumesh Ramakrishnan of SmartMatta, an organization that develops environmental solutions. “At the moment, most efforts toward achieving sustainability are happening in a silo, without the direct involvement and buy-in of employees.” Training can break down these silos and to achieve organization-wide buy-in. “Employees need to understand and appreciate the cost of waste management versus the monetary and environmental value achieved through recycling,” Ramakrishnan says. “Formal training can deepen employee understanding, enhance skills development within an organization, and also achieve key cost reductions through smarter waste management practices.”