As Kermit the Frog would say, it’s not easy being green, but PHSA continues to raise the bar in environmental awareness amongst its employees. At a time when many of us feel a growing concern about our planet’s health, the changes we continue to make in our workplace have earned PHSA the designation as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers, for the fifth year in a row!
Positive green impacts from PHSA staff
With our successful internal Green+Leaders program, onsite composting at various PHSA sites, increased participation in the Clean Commuters Challenge, and other environmentally conscious initiatives, PHSA staff have shown outstanding dedication to make positive green impacts at work and beyond.
“We support and promote individual health and wellness, so it only makes sense that we also consider our environmental health and wellness. We’re proud to foster a culture of sustainability and environmental stewardship at PHSA,” said Judy Clark, executive director, Talent & Performance. “It’s really inspiring to see our staff drive and support green initiatives in so many different ways.”
Green Initiatives Fund
PHSA employees surpassed expectations for creative green ideas with the launch of the first-ever Green Initiatives Fund in 2015. The Green Initiatives Fund is an environmental sustainability challenge where employees can submit ideas for initiatives that would enhance our commitment to a green culture to win $500 towards their project. In 2015, winning ideas included:
- A bike repair workshop at BC Children’s and BC Women’s Hospital
- Revitalization of the “vintage fruit” trees at Sunny Hill Health Centre, using non-stinging, pollinator mason bees
- Fix It Willingdon, a series of series of hands-on repair events at 1795 Willingdon where staff bring in items that may need fixing (e.g. broken headphones, clothing that needs repairs, bikes that need new brake pads, etc.) and learn how to fix them
- A pilot project by the LM Labs BC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory that investigated how to reduce, reuse and return the cooling gel and ice packs that accompany temperature-sensitive materials in the lab
- Rooftop vegetable gardens at 601 West Broadway to promote healthy eating habits, urban gardening and food sustainability
If all these ideas have inspired you to come up with your own green initiative, don’t worry: the second annual Green Initiatives Fund will be launched later this year — stay tuned for more information in the coming months!
A range of environmental initiatives
PHSA has many more environmental initiatives in action every day at sites across B.C., including over 70 active Green+Leaders, standardized recycling programs at various PHSA sites, and partnerships with BC Hydro and TravelSmart to save energy and cut transportation costs. … Just to name a few.
Huge thank you
Thank you to each and every one of you for your ongoing efforts towards positive environmental change. Whether you are the Recycling Champion on your team, a TravelSmart participant or someone who turns off your monitor before going home each night, you’ve contributed to a greener future and a healthier planet. Thank you for your commitment!
For more information on environmental sustainability at PHSA, click here.
