2015
Office of the Chief Information Officer, Executive Council

Following the launch of the Greening Government Action Plan in 2015, nine employees from various branches of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), as well as an external contractor, volunteered their time and developed a creative and successful Green Committee that has earned the enthusiastic participation of OCIO employees.

The Green Committee came together and acted with passion and creativity to engage staff by creating an entertaining and compelling campaign to promote action in a range of areas, from composting organic waste and recycling beverage containers, to sharing used books and donating old computers to charity for re-use. The campaign included a mascot, challenges for staff, an internal “television channel” and the selection of Green Champions to recognize those who got involved enthusiastically. Committee members lead by example engaging in green activities, encouraging others to participate and challenging their peers.

The committee worked closely and built strong relationships with partners including the Multi Materials Stewardship Board which provided advice on waste diversion, and the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador (ASNL) which partnered on composting projects.

Partnership with the Autism Society was of particular significance. The Society has an industrial composter which converts garbage to usable soil in three weeks. Since October 2015 the OCIO has contributed half a ton of material to the Autism Society compost program, keeping that material from the landfill and providing employment for clients of the Society.

The Green Committee has done a tremendous job of educating OCIO staff and designing green activities. They are a great example of how a group of volunteers can come together to make a difference by not only changing the culture of their workplace but also doing their part to make Newfoundland and Labrador a cleaner and greener place to live.