Three employees taking public transport to work
The Salvation Army is increasingly doing more in the field of sustainability. Buildings are becoming greener , waste is better processed and with special tools we try to better manage and reduce our energy consumption . Employees are also increasingly concerned with sustainability. Three of them talk about how they contribute in their own lives.
Ineke van Buren
"I now work in relief work at the Salvation Army, but in 1985 I studied the Environment in Wageningen. So in addition to relief work, I think the environment is important anyway. I haven't eaten meat since I was seventeen and, for example, travel by train as much as possible In addition, I buy my clothing second-hand and if I buy something new, I ensure that it is made sustainably.
Making sustainable choices is sometimes expensive or inconvenient. For example, the train is more expensive than the plane and sustainable cleaning products are also more expensive than non-sustainable products. But can it also cost us something? You have to leave other things behind.
What you need to see clearly is the difference between being sustainable and looking after the little ones. You now see that many organizations and companies are taking a step towards a sustainable future, but this is driven by financial incentives. The financial incentive helps, but it is better to take a step back and see what really helps."
Tjaling Vonk
"If there really is no other option, I sometimes use the car. But I actually always travel by public transport. I have been doing that since I started at the Salvation Army in 2005. Because I worked as a healthcare manager, I was given my own parking space, but I immediately gave it back.
The car I have is a hybrid variant. This way I try to take emissions into account when I do take the car because there is no other option. I hope that other people also see that public transport is a very good and much more sustainable alternative to traveling by car. For example, you can also work on the train; This way you use your travel time usefully."
Iara de Witte
"It's not even a question for me whether I use public transport. What should I do with a car? I live in The Hague and work in Almere, so traveling by car is not convenient. I cycle from home to the station Then I also get some exercise, which I love. Moreover, I can work during the hour I am on the train.
Driving is also extremely expensive at the moment. When I'm sitting in a car and press the accelerator, I think: 'there goes another few euros.' But for me the most important reason remains the environment. That's how I was raised, by the way. We didn't have a car at home for a long time."
