Success Story - At Work
Agency Governance Secretariat, Edmonton
Sometimes, it just takes a few people to start making big changes.
At the Agency Governance Secretariat office, located on the 11th floor of the Legislature Annex in Edmonton six people have adopted this attitude in hopes that their actions will set an example for their entire floor, maybe even the building.
“We took it upon ourselves to reduce our waste and become more environmentally friendly in November of 2008,” explains office member Sandra Town. “We have a number of initiatives that we have committed to since making the decision to go green.”
Green decisions for the group have included, designating an office environmental liaison, bringing and using reusable dishes for lunches and coffee mugs from home, using recycled content paper, double-sided printing, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, turning office lights off when not needed, turning computers/screens off at night, and even requesting a magazine send them one copy instead of four.
Town admits it isn’t always easy to set an example, but it is all worth a try and recommends that the biggest change can be done by simply asking questions. “Our building is trying to be greener and we have been working with supporting the cleaning staff in their recycling efforts.” Slowly, but surely, the people around them are starting to respond.
“We are making green changes one step at a time,” said Town.
