Blog Layout

How Commuters Went Green for Earth Month

May 12, 2023

Spring has sprung in Massachusetts. Flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the air feels cleaner thanks to everyone who participated in global Earth Day celebrations.

The first Earth Day was held in 1970 and by 1990, it was an event celebrated by more than 140 countries around the globe. Each year on April 22nd, more than a billion people continue to celebrate Earth Day by working to protect the planet from harmful practices such as pollution and deforestation.

This year, in honor of Earth Day, TransAction Associates hosted a month-long promotion of green and sustainable activities. Each week during the month of April, commuters were challenged to complete a designated green activity on at least one day. Everyone who participated was entered in a prize drawing and lucky winners took home $25 and $50 gift cards.

The result:

145 morning coffees sipped from reusable mugs
79 waste-free meals made for lunch break
71 trips taken using an alternative mode of transportation (modes that qualified included carpooling, vanpooling, biking, riding in a shuttle, taking public transportation, or telecommuting)
58 additional green activities such as picking up trash in local parks, starting a compost bin, switching to energy-saving light bulbs, planting a vegetable garden, and more were also completed during Week 3, where commuters were asked to complete a green activity of their choice.

As part of the Earth Month Challenge, a tree was planted for each participant through OneTreePlanted, a non-profit organization committed to global reforestation. TransAction Associates then matched the total amount, resulting in a total of 366 trees being planted in the Amazon Rainforest!

The Amazon Rainforest holds the world’s largest rainforest ecosystem and is home to almost 30% of plant and animal species on Earth. Due to logging, unsustainable agriculture, and forest fires, the Amazon Rainforest is unfortunately a very high-risk zone for deforestation and degradation. According to OneTreePlanted, the trees donated by TransAction Associates and challenge participants will help:

Protect & restore primary forests to stabilize the climate
Conserve habitat for the Amazon Rainforest's iconic wildlife species
Provide sustainable livelihoods to local people through agroforestry

Hats off to the commuters who participated in the Earth Month Challenge and made a positive impact on our environment. You can keep the momentum going by switching from driving alone to green commuting this summer.

For more information on hosting commuter challenges at your location, check out TransAction’s Commuter Services page.

< Older Post Newer Post >

The Latest

A biker attends a bike safety check event at his workplace as part of National Bike Month

For Bikers, Spring is their Season

By Courtney Goldberg • 02 May, 2024

Get Ready to Ride: Bike Month is Here!

Two-Wheeled Commutes: Building a Bike-Friendly Workplace

17 Apr, 2024

Overall, Massachusetts is pedaling in the right direction, getting an “A” for being bicycle friendly according to a 2022 report card from the League of American Cyclists. So, what can individual companies looking to shift gears and move towards environmentally friendly employee benefits do to promote bicycling? Here are five things employers can offer to help encourage employees to bike to work:

Driving Change: 5 Strategies to Help Your Employees Transform Their Commute

26 Feb, 2024

Just mention the word “commuting” and blood pressures start to soar. Even the calmest driver starts to prickle with anxiety when faced with the prospect of wasting up to 51 hours per year stuck in traffic. With so many employees making a return to the office either full or part time, the issue of how to ease concerns over commuting has become a hot topic. Here are 5 proven commuting strategies that can transform the journey between home and work from a stress-inducing slog into something more productive --and maybe even calming.

Winter Car Maintenance and Safety Tips with Luis

21 Dec, 2023

It's officially the first day of winter! Are you ready for the snow and ice? Is your car ready? Join Luis Mejia, Fleet Mechanic at TransAction Corporate Shuttles, as he shares some winter car maintenance and safety tips.

Spotlight On - Transportation Management for Events

14 Nov, 2023

For more than a decade, TransAction has been providing transportation management services for large events in Massachusetts. From planning bus routes for walk and race participants, to coordinating multiple service providers, to staffing ground crew, TransAction ensures that transportation operations go smoothly on the day of your event.

Stay Up To Date!