Help me fix the policy with my TA feedback

• When mentioning staff training you should state how often e.g. every 6 months
• what about the compost bin?
• ride to work week?
• signs to remind staff to turn off computers, lights etc
• Please make sure that you include the new points in the relevant sections instead of just listing them at the end of the procedures.

Sustainability Policy and Procedure

Purpose

This Sustainability Policy and Procedure is designed to help Grow Management Consultants achieve its environmental goals. The policy covers a wide range of areas, including green purchasing, recycling and waste management, reducing and reusing paper, electricity and water conservation, and travel. The policy also outlines the responsibilities of employees and the Sustainability Director, and establishes procedures for reporting and recording sustainability performance.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and visitors to Grow Management Consultants' offices and facilities.

Procedures

Green Purchasing

- Products and services should be environmentally friendly, whenever possible. This includes considering factors such as the product's life cycle, energy efficiency, and recyclability. - Avoid the purchase of single-use plastics and other disposable items whenever possible. - Purchasing officer is in charge of all stationary and supply purchases and that staff must contact the purchasing officer for all stationary and supply requests.

- Consider energy efficiency, sustainable packaging, and Australian-made products during the selection process.

- Avoid the purchase of cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals, look for products that are labeled as eco-friendly or green. Many natural ingredients can be used to clean, such as baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice.

Recycling and Waste Management

-Clearly labeled recycling bins for paper, plastics, and other recyclable materials should be strategically placed throughout the office (red bins for general waste, yellow for paper and cardboard, green for cans).

- Staff must separate recyclables from general waste and dispose of them in the appropriate bins. Any staff who do not dispose of garbage of the correct type will be subject to disciplinary action. - Regular training sessions and visible signage will educate staff on proper waste segregation practices.

Reducing and Reusing Paper

- Staff should prioritize electronic communication and documentation over paper whenever possible, e-book sales are encouraged instead of printed books and encourage the use of electronic signatures for approvals and contracts.

- Recycled paper is to be used for necessary printouts.

- Implement double-sided printing for internal documents to reduce paper usage. - Allocate a staff member to monitor and control stationery stock to avoid unnecessary reordering. -A system will be implemented to measure paper usage periodically and set reduction targets based on these metrics.

Electricity and Water Conservation

- Switch off computers, monitors, printers, and photocopiers at the end of the workday. Any staff who do not switch off computers, monitors, printers, and photocopiers at the end of the workday will be subject to disciplinary action.

- Adjust PC monitor brightness to 70% to save energy.

- Staff should report any malfunctioning equipment to facilities management promptly. - Regular reminders and signage will reinforce the importance of energy conservation. - The IT department's must comply with the plan, monitor the change's impact on energy consumption, and adjust if necessary.

Travel

- Staff must conduct meetings/training via zoom whenever possible

- Implement the Sustainability Policies guidelines on travel procedures.

Conduct regular resource audits to monitor energy usage, water consumption, and waste generation. Implement staff surveys and suggestion boxes to gather feedback on sustainability initiatives. Periodically review and update sustainability policies and procedures based on audit findings and staff input.

Gauge staff engagement and understanding through feedback surveys after training sessions and adjust content accordingly.

Responsibilities

Management

The Sustainability Director is responsible for overseeing the implementation of this policy and developing and implementing sustainability initiatives.

Relevant Staff

All employees are responsible for following the procedures outlined in this policy and contributing to our sustainability efforts.

Reporting

The Sustainability Director will report on the company's sustainability progress to the CEO and Board of Directors on an annual basis. This report will include information on our greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, waste generation, and recycling rates. Staff can report sustainability issues through hotline and email of Sustainability Management. Regularly review suggestions and implement feasible and impactful ideas, recognizing and rewarding staff contributions to sustainability efforts.

Recording

The Sustainability Director will keep records of the company's sustainability performance, including greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, waste generation, and recycling rates. These records will be used to track our progress over time and identify areas for improvement. Periodic checks to assess compliance and periodically reinforce the importance of energy-saving behaviors.

Effective Date

This policy is effective immediately on 1/11/2023

Approval and Review Details

Reviewed and Approved by: Anh Duy

Position: Office Manager

Date and Signature: 30/10 ANH DUY

Next Review Date: 1/11/2024

Sustainability Inspection

Use of consumables/ materials/ technology/ equipment

Findings: Sustainability policy and procedure was implemented two months ago. However there are still come instances where staff are not following the policy and procedure. They include: Computers and printers are still being left on overnight. Printer does not have power saving mode. Handouts are still being printed on single side only. Staff are still printing draft documents for supervisors/managers to review

Energy usage e.g. water, electricity gas

Findings: Sustainability policy and procedure was implemented two months ago. However there are still come instances where staff are not following the policy and procedure. They include: Several occasions the office lights were left on overnight or over the weekend. Computers and printers are being left on overnight

Waste Describe workplace waste. How is it disposed of? Are staff conscious of waste management practices e.g. recycling, reuse, disposal?

Findings: Sustainability policy and procedure was implemented two months ago. However there are still come instances where staff are not following the policy and procedure. They include: Garbage bags were placed in the recycling bins. Items that could be recycled are being placed in the general waste bins. Items that could be reused are being placed in the general waste bin.

( Staff Feedback As part of the inspection, staff were asked a series of questions. Their answers are provided below: Question 1: Which sustainability initiatives are you aware of in the workplace?

Staff member 1: recycling, turn down brightness on monitor Staff member 2: recycling Staff member 3: switch off lights, double sided printing Staff member 4: not sure Staff member 5: turn off computer at the end of the day

Question 2: How concerned are you about sustainability overall?

Staff member 1: quite concerned Staff member 2: Really concerned. I owe it to my children to do as much as I can Staff member 3: Reasonably concerned Staff member 4: Not really clear on the whole concept Staff member 5: No idea

Question 3: What training/communication have you received regarding sustainability in the workplace?

Staff member 1: I attended an initial training session when the sustainability policy and procedure was implemented. It was very brief. I havent received any further information and no one has spoken to be about sustainability since Staff member 2: I was away the day they conducted the sustainability training so I havent attended anything. I actually havent read the sustainability policy and procedure Staff member 3: I attended an initial training session. Nothing since. I have some ideas regarding improving sustainability but I havent had a chance to tell anyone. It would be great if we had regular meetings about it or at least some suggestion boxes that we could put our suggestions in. Staff member 4: I attended the initial training session. I have no idea how to use track changes in documents or which bins different waste should be placed into. This wasnt really explained in the training session. I think we should have training at least every 3 months. There should also be signs above the bins to tell us what waste can be placed into each bin. Staff member 5: I havent received any training. We should be given regular training as I have no idea what sustainability practices are in place.

What sustainability areas would you like to see improved?

Staff member 1: more training to increase awareness and efficiency in procedures Staff member 2: Brainstorming meets to make sure we come up with good ideas, such as sustainability weeks, ride to work week with incentives, more support from senior management. Staff member 3: More training, regular meetings regarding sustainability and a suggestion box Staff member 4: compost bin in the kitchen, signs above the bins to clearly advise what waste goes into each bin, more training Staff member 5: more training and information)