In 2023 I joined the sustainability committee for a local non-profit called Interior Community Services (ICS). This non-profit has a large range of services it provides in the community including child, family and youth services. ICS supports new families through pre and post child birth, alternative housing services and sustainable eating at their Mount Paul Food Centre. Although sustainability is not the organizations primary goal, members of ICS wanted to find ways to make their office lives more sustainable. I helped start this suitability committee along with four other members in hopes to create simple ways to make individual sustainable choices. One of the first things this group tackled was conducting a waste audit on two of the office buildings, to better understand the groundwork of what is being recycled and disposed of properly. With the help of the City of Kamloops, we conducted a two part waste audit that lead us to conclude that waste and recycling bin for returnables, glass and compost was most needed at each office. With this new goal in place, I helped design proper signs and bins the were placed in the office communal lunch room as well as an informational poster about recycling and composting. In addition, I helped conduct and analyze the results of an online survey sent out to all ICS employees asking questions about any barriers they may be facing with sustainability at the office and how willing they are to contribute to a more sustainable workplace.
ICS Recycling and Composting Poster
ICS Waste Audit Results
Reflection:
This volunteer committee was my first experience working with a company on environmental suitability. From this I learned that there are many other factors involved in creating change to a company. Approval from higher management and the staff is always the first thing that needed to happen. I have realized that this will be applicable for any job in suitability management or research that involves community or government partnerships.
Form this experience I also learned that there are still many people out there that are passionate about the environment and want to make a difference but don’t know how. I also found that companies are heavily reliant on money and profits and staring anything new does have some finical costs involved.
Going forward I have always kept this in mind with my research on suitability. I have made it a priority to apply for multiple grants to ensure that the purpose of the rsearch can still happen.