Environmental policy

St Bride Foundation was established in 1891 to support the local community’s social, educational and cultural needs. St Bride Foundation recognises that, in pursing its educational, social objectives, it shares with all organisations a responsibility to protect and nurture the environment.

By exercising proper control over its activities, St Bride Foundation will promote the use of sustainable resources and discourage practices that are wasteful or damaging to the environment.

This policy contains a variety of practical measures to be taken in order to enable St Bride Foundation to make a contribution towards protecting the environment at all levels of our activity.

A twice-yearly review of the policy will enable monitoring of achievements, and will identify opportunities for further improvements.

Key Aims

  • To reduce unfavourable impact on the natural environment by St Bride Foundation through our work and consumption.
  • To conserve and support use of sustainable resources.
  • To follow “the waste hierarchy”:
    • Reduce;
    • Re-use or reclaim;
    • Recover (Recycle);
    • Dispose – as last resort.
  • To establish and follow environmental good practice and comply with all relevant environmental regulations and legislations.
  • To develop organisational awareness of the need to care for the environment and measures that can be taken.

Use of Materials

St Bride Foundation will, where appropriate and possible:

  • Purchase recycled products.
  • Purchase Fair Trade Products.
  • Implement energy management plan to reduce consumption of electricity, including a plan to phase in the program.
  • Consider having a third party energy audit to see where energy savings can be generated.
  • Establish a purchasing policy to use environmentally friendly products, including energy star, low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and cleaning supplies (MSDS Health Hazart Rating of 1 or less) Remanufactured toner cartridges, post-consumer recycled content paper and recyclable plastics.
  • Expand our on-site recycling program to capture paper, cardboard, metals, glass plastics and separate organic materials for composting. Contract with a private recycling company if the local government will not collect recyclables.
  • Purchase water from Aqua Aid, or other environmentally responsible company.
  • Order printed stationery (letterheads, envelopes) from a printer with sound environmental principles and with a responsible environmental policy.
  • Favour suppliers who use little packaging or remove packaging as part of their supply contract and obligations and who operate according to sound environmental principles.
  • Use local suppliers, to minimise “fuel miles”.
  • Install high quality, water-saving devices for toilets and faucets throughout the building.

Disposal of Materials

St Bride Foundation will, where appropriate and possible:

  • Recycle all paper waste, including shredded confidential documents.
  • Provide clearly labelled containers for material to be recycled, with notices of what can and cannot be recycled.
  • Provide an environment free of hazardous materials.

Employee Awareness

St Bride Foundation will, where appropriate and possible:

  • Provide environmental information and education for employees, encouraging employees to behave in an environmentally responsible manner.
  • Organise staff training in environmental awareness from organisations such as Future West.
  • Invite guest speakers to inform and motivate staff about environmental issues.
  • Use signs and notices as reminders.
  • Include relevant information in new employees’ orientation.
  • Post Environmental Policy on Website.
  • Encourage existing staff to set examples for new employees.
  • Create awareness of the benefits to the environment of commuting by walking, bicycling or using public transport, while noting other constraints such as personal safety.
  • Make information on recycling systems in St Bride Foundation available to all staff, volunteers and visitors.