We at O’Connor Associates have incorporated activities into our daily workplace and have changed our behaviors to reduce our impact on the planet. The green habits are implemented through emails, memos, and most importantly by example. The following lists these activities.

We strive to recycle everything that can be recycled to decrease the amount of garbage that will be sent to the landfill. We also encourage workers to reduce and reuse materials.

The following materials are recycled at our company:

• Mixed paper
• Beverage containers
• Electronics such as computers, monitors, fax machines and printers
• Cardboard
• Newspaper
• Magazines
• Metals such as aluminum and tin food cans
• Glass products
• Milk cartons
• Plastics (codes 1-7)
• Used ink cartridges (recycle at office supply companies)
• Batteries (recycle at Future shop or Ikea)

Benefits of recycling: Enough energy is saved by recycling one aluminum can to run a TV set for three hours or to light one 100-watt bulb for 20 hours. You can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one new one. Five recycled two-litre plastic bottles make enough fibrefill to stuff a ski jacket. Aluminum cans can be recycled over and over again. See more at the Beverage Container Management Board http://www.bcmb.ab.ca/

• O’Connor Associates uses re-usable glasses, plates, and cutlery. We encourage employees to bring coffee cups and drinking glasses to work.
• O’Connor Associates re-uses office supplies such as binders, file folders, dividers, and duotangs.

A policy has been put in place in our offices at O’Connor Associates to conserve paper. Anything we can do to save paper will help reduce the amount of trash going into landfills. Paper accounts for more than half of the trash sent to the landfills. Conserving paper will also reduce the energy used and pollution generated with the manufacturing and transportation of paper. Let’s not forget that when we conserve paper we will be saving trees.

Our initiatives, which involve saving paper, follow:

• Switching to 100% recycled paper.
• Pay stubs are delivered on-line to all employees.
• We have internal Intranet that gives us on-line resources such as field manuals and client lab data.
• We reduce printing through electronic communication.
• Projectors are used for presentations.
• Reports to regulators must be electronic.
• We now have all field documents scanned so that multiple copies are not required.
• Lab data is electronically handled directly from the laboratories and is no longer faxed.
• The FTP system was developed so clients can get an electronic report.
• The Oakville office has eliminated much of its paperwork by creating e-files rather than paper files by scanning the paper files.
• The accounting department no longer keeps a paper copy of invoices that are sent out to our clients. The invoices are scanned and stored electronically.
• The accounting department saves additional paper by not printing monthly general ledger transaction reports, outstanding payables, and outstanding receivable reports. These are all now available electronically.
• Some of our clients now receive monthly electronic invoices rather than mailed paper invoices.
• We are printing all documents double-sided. The IT department has created a program so your computer defaults to printing double-sided

The average worker goes through about 10,000 sheets of paper every year. Switching to 100% recycled paper saves about 4,100 kilowatts of energy, 7,000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air emissions, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 17 trees for every tonne of paper used.

-Source: ECOHOLIC by Adria Vasil

Save Energy

We are striving at O’Connor Associates to save energy. Why should we save energy? To save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce air pollution, and save water.

Our initiative which involve saving energy follow.

• The company provides distant learning using on-line courses and seminars. Meetings with other offices are conducted through the Internet and intercom connections so that O’Connor staff do not have to travel.
• Carbon credits are purchased in some cases for company-related air travel.
• On the south side of the building at our Calgary office, the windows have a microfilm sheet that helps with heating and cooling of the building. This prevents heat loss and minimises the amount of air conditioning used. This was installed because the south side of the building was very hot. The microfilm sheet prevents excess sun from entering the building. This cuts down the energy and cost required for air conditioning.
• We have purchased electrical timers. They will be used for our space heaters to ensure that they will be turned off at night.

A policy that we are implementing at O’Connor Associates is to reduce the amount of energy that we use.

Our initiatives, which involve reducing emissions, follow.

• The Calgary office has shower/change rooms. This encourages people to walk, run, or bike to work.
• Field Technicians are scheduled to complete multiple jobs in a certain part of the province on the same trip. Our company-prepared scheduling system minimizes the cost of travel and also minimizes travel requirements.
• Flexible work hours are available, which minimizes driving hours and hours in traffic. We have the capability, with the use of laptops, to work from home and do not always have to go to the office to do our work.
• 7% of our office employees ride their bikes to work. The city of Calgary average is 2% for this.

More about Going Green...