To do our part for the planet, the North Vancouver Community Arts Council is going green. To kickstart our efforts, we invited Ambassadors from the David Suzuki Foundation to hold a workshop with all staff. The volunteer Ambassadors really inspired and motivated us to make changes in our workplace and operations. We’re excited to share our and ideas with you and hope you’ll engage in our efforts at reducing our ecological footprint. We’re working on doing things in new ways, and here are a couple of examples of what we’re doing so far:
We invited elementary students - from schools within walking distance only - to participate in hands on activities at CityScape Community Art Space during our Big Ideas exhibition (April 2011).
We send our used ink cartridges (printers, postage machine, photocopier toner) for recycling. Ink cartridge manufacturers usually provide this service at no additional charge to their customers.
Reducing the ‘vampire power’ sucking electricity to run equipment and appliances when not in use (we now turn off power bars to stop feeding electricity to computers instead of just powering down, and pour the coffee into a carafe to keep it warm and fresh, turning the machine off after brewing is done)
Replacing paper mailing with digital formats (yes – that includes the newsletter!) You may have received a phone call from us asking if we could send you information by email instead of regular mail. Over the next few months we’ll keep you informed of ways we can communicate using less paper, so please make sure we have your current email address!
Coordinating distribution of posters, handbills, brochures to minimize the impact of delivery transportation
Encourage more walking, cycling trips and fewer car trips - discover your neighbourhood! Instead of driving to pick up the milk - use your feet and maybe say hello to a few neighbours along the way. It may take more time, but your body and the environment will be better for your efforts.
Recycle your old ink cartridges! Manufacturers or suppliers will usually include a postage-paid label to return a used cartridge for proper recycling. If you don't receive a return, postage paid label with each new cartridge, contact your supplier about their recycling programme. Individual print cartridges can be returned to many Return It or Changes recycling centres around the Lower Mainland. The more we reduce, re-use and recycle, the less waste will get to the landfills.
Plug your appliances and other electronics into a power bar that you can easily turn off when not using. Many electrical products cannot be switched off completely without being unplugged (like televisions, cell phone chargers). These products consume electricity whenever they're plugged in, in standby mode. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates the global energy consumption due to standby power at between 200-400 terawatts per year - that translates into a lot of wasted energy, and a lot of wasted money!
(This is where we share green ideas. If you have a Green Tip you'd like to share, send it to info@nvartscouncil.ca and together we'll fill this section with helpful information.)
In this section we'd like to acknowledge our members and your efforts at going green. If you have implemented any green initiatives in your personal or professional lives, let us know and we'll give you the recognition you deserve in our Green Corner!
