Your Chance to Go Green How can you save money by going green? Can you enhance your profitability by implementing a waste management plan? Will going green increase your market share? Can you find partners who can use your by-products? What potential savings do you foresee from reductions in energy usage? Unit Four – Making it Happen How can you apply what you’ve learned in your business? Use checklists and activity sheets to review the opportunity for your business to gain from going green.

Going Green is an ongoing process Assess Operations Gather Information Discuss with staff Use waste mapping Record waste amounts and sources Read industry publications and review websites Perform Cost benefit analysis Consider regulations Consider customer response Set up monitoring plan Select a program leader or team Develop employee education programs Use data to identify areas where greatest waste occurs Try to determine causes Monitor and Evaluate Act A Review of the Proces Stage One: Gather Information - Discuss with staff, Use waste mapping, Record waste amounts and sources, Read industry publications and review websites Stage Two - Assess Operations - Use data to identify areas where greatest waste occurs, Try to determine causes Stage Three -- Identify Areas for Improvement, Perform Cost benefit analysis, Consider regulations, Consider customer response Stage Four – Prioritize - What can be done right away? What requires investment and new equipment? Stage Five -- Act - Implement the plan - Set up monitoring plan, Select a program leader or team, Develop employee education programs Stage Six -- Monitor progress, gather data, promote success, analyze problems with program Stage Seven -- Revise or extend the plan Begin process again with the intention of adding new green initiatives or expanding and improving on the previous initiative What can be done right away? What requires investment? Identify areas for improvement or new development Prioritize

Action Plans An action plan should encompass all functions of the business Start with a vision statement Use Industry Canada’s Three Steps as a model Select an area in which no major investment is required to get started Implement a staff awareness plan and include motivational items to help promote staff interest. Review your plan frequently and adjust as needed Don’t forget to highlight your success Participants should develop an action plan to implement at least one green business practice in their business. For the Participant -- Three steps to Eco-efficiency, Getting Employees to Support Eco-Efficiency, Checklist for the Accommodations Industry.

Sample Action Plan Vision statement ABC Enterprises will become a eco-efficient enterprise. Goal Objective Activities Timeline Who is Responsible Indicators of success To increase efficiency in production To reduce material waste Organize waste management team Perform waste mapping Create waste reduction plan Create monitoring instrument Implement Plan Monitor results Jan. Feb. March March to Dec. Personnel manager Team All staff Reduction in ratio of waste out to materials in To decrease energy costs Review energy costs Analyze energy use Create energy reduction plan Implement plan Finance Staff Committee Staff Committee + Finance Reduced energy bills Detailed planning sheets for each objective are also needed. For example, the energy reduction plan would include specific tasks and who is to carry them out.

Starting an Action Plan What is your main goal? How do you expect to achieve it? What resources do you need? What information will you need? Who will guide and monitor the process? How will you measure your success? How will you benefit? Are there others who will benefit? How will your plan affect the environment? For the Participant -- Action Planning Worksheet.

Green Business is Good Business Reduced energy costs Reduced dumping fees Higher productivity per unit of input Healthier, safer work environment More attractive business premises Greater value attached to each product sold New markets New products and services New approaches to operations Access to special funding Innovative practices Increased competitive advantage Reduced liability and risk Summary of Benefits of Green Business