Go green with GVCSS

At GVCSS, we believe that being environmentally responsible is an important part of being an ethical organization. We have already made changes which will reduce our carbon footprint, such as adopting a paperless technology (CellTrak) to track Home Support visits, and installing energy efficient furnaces in our Community Living residences. In 2011, GVCSS went one step further: we formed the GVCSS Green Team, a committee of dedicated employees who are working together to track and reduce GVCSS' carbon output. The Green Team worked with corporate environmental consultants Gobi to identify our environmental impact and make agency-wide improvements to our practices. Now, using  their carbon management solution GobiSoft, we are tracking our progress and continuing to make changes.

During the spring of 2011, the Green Team identified five strategic objectives:

Energy: To minimize energy consumption and use clean, renewable energy where possible
Air: To reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change 
Waste: To produce less waste and increase recycling, composting and reuse
Water: To conserve water and minimize the impact on local water resources
Procurement: To factor environmental considerations into all purchasing decisions

The Green Team has developed initiatives to address these objectives that are reflected in our environmental strategy.To read the entire GVCSS Environmental Strategy, click here.

Green team activities:

Community Clean Up - June 2012

The GVCSS Green Team will be hosting a community clean up at a community park in East Vancouver in June 2012. Please check later for more details.

This event will be our second annual community clean up. The GVCSS Green Team hosted one at Vancouver's Jericho Beach on June 28, 2011. To read about this successful event, click here.

Green Challenge 2012

This year, the Green Team will be holding Green Challenges at Head Office and in our Community Living group homes. We will be aiming to reduce paper and energy use. Please check back as more details are posted. 

Green tips: 

Check back often to get green tips for work and at home.

Tip #1: Natural air freshener spray - submitted by Green Team member Lara Lee

• Dissolve baking soda in 2 cups hot water add lemon juice. 
• Pour into spray bottle, then spray to freshen the air.

(from: Green Clean Eco Friendly Cleaning for the Home)

Tip #2: Conserve water

Using less water is an effective way to conserve this essential natural resource. Here are five ways to decrease your water usage.

• Don’t let the water run when rinsing your dishes. Fill one sink with wash water and one sink with rinse water. 
•  Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they're full. This can save up to 3800 litres of water per month.
• Shorten your shower time by just one or two minutes to save up to 570 litres of water per month.

• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If you see it seep into the bowl without flushing, you’ve got a leak. Fix it  and you can save up  to 3800 litres of water per month
• Turn faucets off tightly after each use

(from: SmartIrrigation.org)

Tip #3: Stay cool during summer months without the A/C

The coming of summer means longer days and higher temperatures, and higher energy costs as we try to keep our homes comfortably cool. Don’t sweat it. Here are some tips for beating the heat without running the air conditioning 24/7:   

Choose light fabrics at home. You don’t want dark, heavy drapes and bedspreads absorbing heat during the day. Replace them with lighter materials. And pick clothes to wear that are made of natural fibers. Synthetics can block your sweat, making you feel warmer.   

Close curtains and blinds during the day. This can prevent your home from heating up in the hot sun. At night, once the temperature cools down, you can open your windows to let cooler air flow through the house.   ·

Keep the air moving. An oscillating fan will circulate the air more efficiently than a stationary one. Buy a large one for better coverage. If you sit in front of it to cool off, though, be careful not to let the air dry your eyes out. If you have a ceiling fan—a good idea—make sure the blades rotate counterclockwise during the summer months to push cool air down into the room.   

Turn appliances off. Lights, computers, stoves, and anything else that runs on electricity will produce heat. Keep them off when you’re not using them. Avoid cooking if you can—make sandwiches instead of oven-roasted chicken for dinner, for example.