Akamai Connects Global Employees Through the Power of Reuse

Client Success Story: Akamai

“For Akamai, it was about coming together to create a long-term habit of always choosing reuse.”

It takes ambition, confidence, and dedication to roll out a program on a global scale, which is exactly what Akamai has achieved. With the purchase of a Custom Charity Giving Project and Private Group, Akamai generously donated $20,000 to One Tree Planted. With every dollar planting one tree, this will create lasting change for the planet. For Akamai, this is only the beginning.

Why was it important to Akamai to integrate philanthropy and giving into your experiences?

At Akamai, we provide active support and meaningful enrichment to the communities in which we live and work. We are always looking for ways to align our global employees to our sustainability mission: “Harnessing the power of Akamai Connected Cloud to create a sustainable and equitable future for the world”. One of our core pillars values is giving back, which includes our commitment to making a positive environmental impact.

How does Fill it Forward align with Akamai’s sustainability goals and mission?

Emissions and waste reduction are core pillars to our programs and goals. Fill it Forward helps us to reach these goals in two ways: by avoiding emissions and single-use plastic use and helping us to create a sustainable future as employees embrace reuse and develop sustainable habits.

How did you leverage Fill it Forward to promote reuse around World Water Day and Earth Day? Did these dates help to drive engagement?

As a global company, Fill it Forward was something we could all actively engage with. We launched the program on World Water Day to create a connection between the environment and the act of reuse. We created a hydration competition with our wellness team; as Earth Day approached we were able to talk about the impact we had made in a short period of time.

Katie Robinson
Business Analyst, Environment & Sustainability

How did you work with your team to effectively launch the program to your international satellite offices?

Water and plastic pollution is relevant to everyone. We decided to set up an internal page for all things Fill it Forward, which included the How it Works video as well as information about the One Tree Planted project we are supporting. Additionally, our Green Team leaders helped to distribute Tags and spread the word, our CEO spoke about the program in an All Hands meeting, and we made sure our informational webinars were inclusive to all time zones.

What does your team love about the Fill it Forward Tag and the app experience?

Fill it Forward is SO easy to use: you open the app and scan. Many people work from home and this program is easy to adopt and use to create unity among your team. We are very excited to use the Teams competition feature during Plastic Free July and believe this will help us to develop long-term habits among our employees. Fill it Forward’s mission (to always choose reuse) helps our employees to keep this initiative going by reducing single-use plastics.

What would you recommend to other organizations who are considering a Fill it Forward partnership?

Stick with it after launch. Use reminders often to help employees develop healthy habits. Bookmark the FAQ page. If you choose a Custom Giving Project, it is important to think carefully about the charity you choose if you want to generate interest and engagement with your team. Choose a project with intention and make sure this project aligns with your corporate values in a region of importance to you. Fill it Forward will help you to feel prepared and confident throughout this process.