Greening at work and at home
By Linda Varangu, Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention (C2P2)

Pollution Prevention (P2) is an attitude and way of thinking that can be applied to all things at all times, whether you are working or at home. One of the ways we help promote pollution prevention at the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention is by developing and delivering novel support programs that aim to eliminate barriers to change. An example of this type of project is one which we are working on with Ontario based hospitals, known as the Ontario Hospital Clean Air Challenge. This program, co-ordinated by my colleague Kady Cowan, will help hospitals reduce greenhouse gases and air emissions from their facilities. The novel part of this program is that we will also be helping the participating hospitals undertake outreach programs for their employees. With this strategy staff are encouraged to implement the P2 activities they participate in at work, at home as well. This reinforces the idea that P2 is a way of thinking not just a work duty. In Ontario many hundreds of thousands of people work in the healthcare system and can easily be reached through the hospital greening programs.

This trend, where employees are also targeted with a 'green message' can be applied to small businesses as well. Many people working at small businesses recognize that the greening activities undertaken at work can be applied just as well at home. Businesses that undertake greening activities generally do so because someone on staff has a personal commitment to prevent and address environmental impacts.

Incorporating green practices can save you money at work and at home. For example, as a small business you can make your business 'greener' to satisfy a more environmentally demanding consumer, and save money in the process. For example, an energy audit can help identify opportunities for energy conservation, efficiency and where renewable energy sources such as solar can be used cost effectively. Studies have shown that up to 30% savings on energy bills for a small business is not unusual after an energy audit. Likewise the average energy consumption at a home can be reduced by 25%. Simple actions such as installing energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs are a great start. But don’t stop there. Contact your local energy supplier or check out the Conservation Ontario website www.conservationbureau.on.ca for upcoming incentives for home owners and small businesses to conserve energy. Other resources include the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada ( http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/ ), which provides details about other incentive programs and information about Energy Star appliances. Did you know that the Town of East Gwillimbury in York Region was the first municipality in Canada to adopt the Energy Star standards for all new residential developments? Stay tuned to details of the federal energy incentive program recently announced to help small business and home owners save energy and reduce greenhouse gases at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/retrofit-summary.cfm?attr=0. Water saving appliances (i.e. toilets, washing machines) and fixtures can also result in savings on your heating and water bill both at work and at home.

Evaluate the cleaning materials at your place of business. If these cleaners need to be handled using personal protective equipment you may be putting your co-worker’s health at risk. There are many cleaning products that are safe for the environment and better for your health that can be used at work or at home. Check out cleaning and other products that are better for the environment and have the 'Eco Logo' symbol at www.environmentalchoice.com.

Ultimately, it will take the combined effort of governments, businesses, citizens, institutions and ENGOs to make environmental sustainability an achievable goal. Many challenges and barriers exist, which is why we all need to work together in pursuit of this goal.