Fun and Gains for Conservation

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David Lebedoff takes part in the tire gauge contest at the Seven Mile Generating Station.

BC Hydro's Green Teams are challenging our employees to decrease our environmental footprint by having fun.

"From friendly competitions to building awareness, the big win for BC Hydro will be in decreasing our environmental footprint and helping people see how easy and fun it can be," says David Procter, manager of Lead by Example.

Here are some examples of the fun and gains that have been happening at BC Hydro.

Capture the green flag

One morning, employees at the Dunsmuir office arrived at work to find either a green or black flag on their desk. There were no clues to indicate what this was about, and the mystery got people talking. The employees guessed that the green flags were good, and the black ones were not. They then figured out that turning off their computer monitors at night would earn them the coveted green flag. By the next day 75% of the desks sported green flags, and by the third day 97% of the workstations displayed green flags. The Dunsmuir Green Team then came forward and thanked the employees for turning off their computer monitors at night to save electricity. The office was even more surprised a week later when the flags resurfaced as a friendly reminder.

"By visibly highlighting the green actions of employees, we are hoping to keep people on track," says Joyce Wong of the Dunsmuir Green Team.

Under pressure

Keeping tires properly inflated makes a huge difference to the environment, so this summer ten vehicle departments at BC Hydro were challenged to find out if all their tires were properly inflated. As a result of this competition, several departments won prizes for having the highest percentage of vehicles with properly inflated tires. BC Hydro also learned that monthly tire checks will result in annual savings of 4,800 litres of fuel and prevent 12 tonnes of GHG emissions.

According to Cheryl Bucar, Director of Regional Operations at BC Hydro: "The outcome of this effort was fantastic. It proves the point that taking a simple thought and putting it into action can make a significant difference."

Fine dining

To encourage a reduction of waste, the Green Team at BC Hydro's Central Park Place office sponsored an "ugly plate contest" to encourage employees to bring a non-disposable plate to use at work, which has virtually eliminated the use of disposable plates at that location.

Reducing waste through using non-disposable plates, mugs and cutlery is also the focus of another Green Team campaign at BC Hydro's Edmonds office. This Green Team is also working to build awareness about the use of non-disposable plates, mugs and cutlery through fun, interactive "Lunch 'n Learns" and posters that feature the benefits of eating from non-disposable plates.

"We want to reduce the 1,000 plastic take-out containers the Edmonds cafeteria goes through every month by helping people realize that their positive actions make a difference," said Colleen Westlake and Samy Musa, leaders of the Edmonds Green Team.

Achieving measurable results

These efforts have been the result of the Workplace Conservation Workshops held by the Power Smart Specialists who help BC Hydro customers to identify appropriate conservation campaigns to achieve measurable results.

According to Jeff Chiu, Manager of Community Network, Power Smart Specialists: "The workshop provides an opportunity for your green team to increase their social marketing knowledge and create a focused plan on making an environmental difference."

If you would like to schedule a Workplace Conservation Workshop for the Green Team at your workplace, please contact a Power Smart Specialist.