Collect Information on Resource Efficiency Procedures

Collect Information on Resource Efficiency Procedures

Collect Information on Resource Efficiency Procedures

To encourage people in your workplace to act in an environmentally sustainable way, you must keep yourself informed about environmental initiatives. Learn how to source information from credible sources and convey this information clearly to your work group.

Understand Environmental Issues

Green initiatives, such as reducing paper and electricity use, are simple and can easily be implemented in every workplace. Other initiatives may depend on the industry; for example, warehouses or manufacturers may need specific procedures for storing or disposing of hazardous materials, and transport companies may need specific procedures for vehicle maintenance and controlling emissions.

Open Ended

In a legal office environment, what do you think would be some common environmental and energy efficiency issues?

Common Environmental & Energy Efficency Issues include:

• Energy usage, example lights and equipment left on when not in use

• Storing and disposing of hazardous materials

• Reducing paper usage

• Waste disposal

• Inadequate recycling processes

• Water usage, example leaking faucets etc.

• vehicle maintenance and controlling emissions

Motivational Information

Motivational information explains to people why they should do something. People are more likely to get involved and participate when they fully understand what the benefit is; for example, featuring a short statement on a ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ poster about how reducing paper use saves trees and makes the air cleaner.

Open Ended

What is motivational information?

Operational Information

Even if someone is keen to participate, they can’t help you reduce paper usage if they don’t know how. Some people may be embarrassed to say they don’t know something, so make sure you give them the operational information in a way that is easy to understand. The easier you make it for people to change, the more likely they will be to participate; for example, providing some simple instructions on how to make duplex copies.

Open Ended

Summarise operational motivation.

Get the Right Information

Successfully implementing a green initiative requires people to want to participate and to know how to participate. You need to provide motivational and operational information.

Communicate with the Work Group

• Who am I telling?

• What am I telling them?

• Where am I telling them?

• Why am I telling them?