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We spend about a third of our lives at work, with Australians clock-
ing up some of the longest hours in the developed world. In the
past decade the average working week has risen nearly two hours.
Our working environment has been shown to contribute significant-
ly to how we feel about ourselves, how we conduct relationships
with our peers and families and whether we lead a healthy and
fulfilling life. While work is just one aspect of life, the satisfaction
derived from a job well done can impact on your whole wellbeing;
and in the not-for-profit sector, where salaries are often less than in
the commercial world, it's this job satisfaction that keeps us going.
That's another reason why we should strive to create the most envi-
ronmentally sustainable workplaces. Non-profit organisations have
the opportunity to be leaders in this field, to demonstrate to their
funders and clients their commitment to sustainability - and save
much needed funds from minimising energy usage and improving
waste management practices.
It may seem daunting to embark on a sustainability management
plan - but it doesn't have to be. You just need to know some of the
key steps to take like getting the buy-in from the CEO (also now
the Chief Environmental Officer!) and Board, setting up a staff
`green team', developing a policy (there are many published online
to copy), measuring your carbon footprint and establishing reduc-
tion goals over 6 months, 12 months, 2 years and beyond.
You won't get there overnight - implementing an effective sustain-
ability management plan is a journey, but it can be a fun one too.
Here are five tips from True Green @Work to get you started in
reducing your environmental impact at work.
1. Coffee fix
Small things can make a big difference. Consider your humble
cup of coffee, the world's second-most valuable legal commodity
after oil, with environmental and social impacts to match. Stir up
some positive change by asking your barista and/or office manager
to switch to organic Fairtrade-labelled brands. Then do your bit to
reduce the energy and waste involved in producing, transporting
and disposing of 400 million takeaway cups in Australia each year:
use your own mug. You need to wash it, sure, but lifecycle analysis
shows that over its life of about 3000 uses a mug is associated with
30 times less solid waste and 60 times less air pollution than the
equivalent drinks in disposable cardboard cups.
2. shutdown
The idea that leaving a machine on is more efficient than turning
it off has become something of an urban, and deeply uneconomic,
myth. Left on all day, every day a computer will over a year use
nearly 1,000 kilowatts of electricity, resulting in more than a tonne
of carbon emissions and an electricity bill of $125. By switching
off your computer before you go home you will cut its electricity
use to less than 250 kilowatts, with comparable carbon and cost
savings.
3. Office paper
Despite advances in technology, the paperless office remains a
futuristic fantasy, with about 10,000 sheets of A4 paper as much
paper as is produced from pulping a full-grown tree being used
for every Australian worker each year. Much of this paper comes
from native eucalypt forests and is chlorine-bleached, a process
that produces toxic dioxins. Recycled paper uses up to 90 per cent
less water and half the energy required to make paper from virgin
timber, yet less than 5 per cent of the 1.2 million tonnes of printing
and writing paper used in Australia each year is recycled content.
4. Cartridges
Dire warnings against reusing printer ink and toner cartridges help
protect the profit margins of manufacturers but contribute to more
than 1,500 tonnes of environmentally unfriendly cartridges being
dumped in Australian landfill each year. Subject to the fine print
on a warranty, however, there is no good reason a cartridge cannot
be reused up to four times. It will not only cut waste but also save
up to 90 per cent on the cost of a new cartridge. Use a refiller or
remanufacturer prepared to offer a written guarantee against equip-
ment damage and downtime caused by their products.
5. pool resources
Three out of every four car trips transport just the driver. Encour-
aging car-pooling is an obvious way to reduce carbon emissions
created by commuting. Staff will save by sharing petrol costs and
your business will save on parking. Rather than just leaving it to
informal arrangements, make car-pooling part of your workplace
culture: establish a database so people who work in different areas
(or even neighbouring businesses) can get in touch with one an-
other. Provide incentives such as priority access to parking spaces,
and a guarantee of transport home so there are no worries about
being stranded. n
*Momentum2 is a Sydney-based social and sustainability marketing
and communications consultancy; Kim McKay is also the co-founder
and deputy chairwoman of Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the
World.
(tips sourced from True Green @ Work by Kim McKay and Jenny
Bonnin with Tim Wallace, ABC Books - www.betruegreen.com)
eNViroNMeNtal SuStaiNaBility
greening
YOur
WOrKPlACe
Kim mcKay, partner, momentum2*
and co-author true Green Book series