Green + Sustainability

Paper 

Reducing the amount of paper we use by:

  • Encouraging people to copy large documents double sided.
  • Print large documents 2 to a page.
  • Send documents by email.
  • Send large enclosures by disk.

Energy 

Reducing the amount of electricity we use by:

  • Switching off all lighting after hours and in areas such as store rooms that are not going to be used for at least 10 minutes.
  • Switching off all equipment when not in use (e.g. at night).
  • Turning off computer screens at lunch time.
  • Putting up easy to read and eye catching energy saving reminder signs.

Waste 

Reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill by:

  • Introducing individual recycling and shredding bins to more areas around the office.
  • Thinking of the environment before printing a document.
  • Only shredding confidential documents.
  • Reusing single-sided paper as draft copies or notepaper within the office.
  • Introducing RMB reusable travel coffee mugs and encourage staff to take them to the coffee shop to put their coffee in.
  • Recycle all used toner cartridges at the Planet Ark bin at Australia Post.

Behavioral changes 

Encourage staff to make behavioral changes by:

Staff awareness:

We hold in house business school meetings every couple of months where the firm is split up into groups called the Frogs, Mexicans, Jets, Macarenas, Arwon and Owls. These business schools are to educate staff on what is happening within the business.

New staff induction training sessions are held at the commencement of employment for each new employee. This is to bring the new employee up to date with how RMB is run as a business and this includes introducing the new staff member to the RMB Green Office Resource Guide and how being green is important to RMB.

Staff engagement in fun activities which promote sustainability.

On 26 February 2010 we held an RMB Green day across all offices which Included the following:

  • Black balloon campaign - black balloons were put up around the office on printers and photocopiers to make staff aware of the energy these pieces of equipment consume especially out of office hours.
  • RMB coffee mugs were introduced to staff on this day and staff were educated about using them instead of disposable cups.
  • Each staff member made an individual pledge that would improve their own carbon footprint. These pledges were then put up around the library for the day and were scanned and emailed as a reminder to the staff member later on in the month.
  • Individual recycling and shredding bins were introduced under each person's desk on this day. Prior to the Green day a bin questionnaire was emailed to staff asking them questions about their current bins and asking for suggestions on how we can improve.
  • Posters were put up around the office with tips and reminders about switching off electrical equipment and light switches.
  • Screenings of Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth were held throughout the day.
  • A "Waste Race" was held at each of the screenings. Two volunteers had identical items of waste and a shredding, recycling and rubbish bin. The aim of game was for the waste to be put into the correct bin in the shortest amount of time by running back and forwards with one item at a time. This was to educate staff in a fun way on how to properly sort their rubbish into their new bins.
  • A guessing game was held to guess how many pieces of A4 paper were put in the recycling bin in one day. This was to give an indication of how much paper we use and also to show how people contaminate the recycling bin with non recyclable items.
  • Green hampers were given out as prizes to the winners of the games held on the day. The hampers contained energy efficient light globes, shower timers, reusable shopping bags, mini herb green houses, trigger hose nozzles and various brochures and packs on how to reduce your carbon footprint at home.
  • This day was also to kick off RMB's sustainability month which ran throughout March 2010. This month was solely focused on switching off. The switch off campaign was aimed at educating staff to switch off their computer, lights and electrical equipment in and around their area at the end of each day. Spot checks were made in different areas of the office throughout the month and a thank you note and chocolate was left on the desk of any person that had completed the requirement.

Involving Clients and other businesses 

  • As we are apart of the Business Treading Lightly group of businesses we are open to opportunities to meet with other businesses that are also apart of the Sustainability Advantage Program. We can network with these businesses at Business Treading Lightly's cluster meetings every 3 to 6 months. We also have the opportunity to be a guest speaker at the cluster meetings and discuss our business and what we are doing and what we wish to achieve.
  • During the month of June we participated in an ad campaign with Win TV and Business Treading Lightly to watch this video type in the password BTL and click on enter.
     
    The ad was a great way to promote to our clients what we are doing instead of what we do.
  • When holding conferences and mediations with Barristers and other law firms in our office we use our RMB coffee mugs when ordering coffees for all the parties involved.
  • We also use our RMB coffee mugs as a marketing tool to provide to a few key businesses that we have formed relationships with including accountants, real estate agents and banks.
  • We provide client information packs to our clients at the beginning and end of each matter where appropriate. These packs contain information on products and services that we have available and also referral details to our bank Westpac. It is our desire to include a one page document that gives our clients some information and tips on reducing their carbon footprint at home and perhaps gift trees to our important clients.

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