By guest contributor, Sydney Helland, Marketing & Communications Coordinator at Career Edge Organization
Last Friday, April 22nd Canadians across the country mobilized to celebrate Earth Day 2011 by raising awareness about the importance of going green.
Since 1970, this environmental movement has been inspiring individuals and organizations to show their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, and Canadian employers have been no exception.
In recognition of Earth Day 2011, Canada’s Top 100 Employers released the results of its 2011 Canada’s Greenest Employers competition. The Canadian employers that received this special designation have demonstrated exceptional leadership in creating a workplace culture of environmental awareness while developing earth-friendly initiatives. Career Edge Organization would like to congratulate all those who made the cut!
If you’re wondering what you and/or your organization can do to lessen your footprint on the earth and to join this professional group of environmental stewards, check out the following Top 5 Ways to Green Your Workplace!
- Green your commute: Using personal motor vehicles to get to work puts an incredible strain on the environment through the consumption of billions of gallons of gas each year. We can alleviate this strain by carpooling, taking public transit, cycling or walking.
Tip: The Shadow eBike – the world’s first wireless, electric bicycle – is certainly on the cutting edge of green commuting, plus it’s designed, developed and assembled in Canada! - Go paperless: Reducing the amount of paper used in the typical office can be difficult, but any attempt to reduce, reuse, and recycle paper can have an impact.
Tip: You can help save paper quite simply by printing double-sided, purchasing paper made with post-consumer content, and reusing scrap paper from the blue bin for notes. If you use a vendor for paper shredding, contact them to find out about their recycling programs. - Digitize: Although hard copies are required in particular situations, consider going digital whenever possible.
Tip: A filing cabinet full of paper archives can often be replaced by a 350GB digital hard drive. - Conserve energy: There are hundreds of small energy suckers hidden around offices, and it’s easy to address them once you know where to look. The clock on the break room microwave, computer monitors, printers, photocopiers, television screens and media players all use energy even when they aren’t actively being used.
Tip: By plugging most office electronics into power bars, you can cut the power and save energy with the push of a button at the end of the day. - Green your lunch: Coffee cups, plastic water bottles, Styrofoam take-away containers, and food packaging of all kinds are polluting our world constantly.
Tip: Switch to reusable or compostable food and beverage containers as much as possible. By using a personal water bottle, coffee tumbler and food containers for your daily lunches and snacks you will significantly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Do you have eco-friendly ideas of your own? Please share them with us so we can all pitch in toward a greener Canadian work culture!