Simple changes to make your workplace Resource smart
•consider the environment when
purchasing goods and services
• buy recycled paper
•use durable crockery, cups and coffee
mugs
•provide reusable bags for staff to use
when shopping
Resource smart actions
• D
evelop a company purchasing policy that supports
suppliers and companies that minimise packaging,
reuse and recycle packaging, and use other
environmentally friendly practices.
• S
et up a list of suppliers with preferred environmentally
credentials and only purchase from them.
• D
evelop a ‘green list’ of products with your stationary
supplier.
• U
se suppliers of local or seasonal foods by shopping at
farmers markets for catering.
• S
witch to GreenPower and encourage staff to purchase
GreenPower at home.
Did you know…
• Buy energy and water efficient appliances for the office.
• R
ecycled paper uses up to 90 per cent less water and
50 per cent less energy than virgin paper.1
• B
uy multi-function devices, which print, fax and copy to
reduce the number of machines needed.
• E
nergy and water efficient equipment can save you 10-30 per cent on running costs.2
• R
emove desk side printers and instead opt for fewer
large machines located centrally.
• C
onsumers prefer green – more than 724,000
households choose GreenPower and are highly likely
to purchase from or invest in companies that purchase
GreenPower.3
• Buy products that are made with recycled content.
Victorians are going green at home, buying sociallyresponsible and environmentally friendly products and
taking their green bags shopping. So if you’re buying
responsibly at home, why not purchase responsibly at
work?
Even if you’re not in charge of buying supplies for the
office, you can still help reduce your impact on the
environment by asking for more environmentally friendly
products, only using what you need and doing what you
do at home – such as using plates and cutlery instead of
using disposable plastic bags and takeaway containers –
at work. You can also have an impact on other office purchases by
sharing the information below with those in the office that
make the big decisions!
• A
void purchasing products with excessive packaging
and ask suppliers to ship material in reusable
containers.
• B
uy concentrated or bulk goods to reduce packaging
waste.
• B
uy items that can be refilled, reused or fixed instead of
thrown away (such as refillable pens and rechargeable
batteries).
• Investigate the recycled content of your current office
paper and increase this amount.
• E
ncourage staff to BYO mug when buying takeaway
coffee.
• P
rovide office crockery, cutlery and cups to reduce the
need for takeaway or disposable containers.
• Encourage staff to bring lunch in a reusable containers.
• E
ncourage staff to use green bags or recyclable
carrying bags when shopping at lunchtime.
Spread the word
Reward and recognise
Keep your message simple and communicate regularly. Be creative and make sure your message gets through.
People are more likely to do something if there’s something
in it for them. Positive reinforcement is a great way to get
support for a new initiative.
• J oin forces with your procurement team to set up
processes and communications to encourage green
purchasing.
• P
ut a small reward on the desk of people who bring in
recyclable bags or use office crockery.
• G
et your procurement manager to communicate to the
organisation on green procurement.
• S
upply staff with a coffee mug with an environmentally
friendly message or company logo on it.
• F
ind managers or teams to model green purchasing
and profile them in the internal newsletter.
• S
trike a deal with a local café to charge staff 50 cents less
for take away coffee if they bring their own reusable mug.
• H
ighlight your office’s commitment to environmentally
friendly purchasing and place your policy in the foyer or
reception area.
• S
upply a locally sourced, organic morning tea for
employees to celebrate reaching targets or key
milestones in your Resource smart plan.
• Inform people of the importance of using
environmentally friendly equipment via email or in staff
communications.
• R
un a staff competition to source the most
environmentally friendly products to replace existing
unsustainable options.
• E
mail the people in your office a list of environmentally
friendly products and suppliers they can purchase items
from.
Keep track of success
• P
rovide staff with information on ENERGY STAR rated
equipment and recyclable supplies.
Evaluate your initiatives to see what is working, what isn’t
and where you can improve. Set a time frame for targets,
such as 6 or 12 months and stick to it.
Keep the message fresh
• A
sk your stationary supplier to generate reports on
green products purchased.
Reinforce messages regularly. Use prompts and reminders
to keep Resource smart actions top of mind.
• M
easure the % value of environmentally preferred
products purchased compared with your total
procurement spend.
• P
lace your list of preferred environmentally friendly
suppliers in a prominent place in the stationary
cupboard.
• C
reate a clearly signed reuse area in the supplies
cupboard to encourage use of reusable items in place
of new.
• P
lace bulk items in a prominent place to highlight these
supplies.
• Insert reminders at point of purchase or ordering such
as an online system or folder.
• P
ut up signs as a reminder of the workplace purchasing
standards.
• P
ut up signs in the kitchen reminding people to use the
crockery supplied.
• K
eep recyclable green bags at the front reception
desk so they can be used for lunchtime shopping
expeditions. • M
easure the amount of environmentally friendly paper
bought and the number of trees saved.
• C
ount the number of take away coffee cup in your
waste stream and set targets to reduce the amount.
• C
ompare your GreenPower bills to old energy bills to
identify greenhouse reduction.
Green purchasing as a % of total spend
Purchasing Spend ($’000)
• H
ave a dedicated recycled paper printer and remind
staff to use it.
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Total spend
Green purchasing
Target 75%
Buy resource smart© Sustainability Victoria 2011
While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct,
Sustainability Victoria gives no warranty regarding its accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any
particular purpose and to the extent permitted by law, does not accept any liability for loss or damages incurred
as a result of reliance placed upon the content of this publication. This publication is provided on the basis that all
persons accessing it undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its content.
Buy resource smart should be attributed to Sustainability Victoria.
Buy resource smart copyright material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence. In
essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work and abide by the
other licence terms. To view a copy of this licence, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/
Published by Sustainability Victoria. Also published on sustainability.vic.gov.au © Copyright Sustainability Victoria, November 2011 (ENV057)
Printed on 100% recycled paper
1 Green Office Guide 2001 www.environment.gov.au
2 Sustainability Victoria www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
3 GreenPower www.greenpower.gov.au