Archived publication
This publication is no longer current or has been superseded.
Staff buy-in to recycling proves a winner for IRD
Inland Revenue shone at the Govt3 awards which recognise best-practice sustainable performance in the public sector in a bid to ‘walk the talk’. The department attributes its success to management and staff support to implement change across the whole organisation.
IRD staff – not just tax collectors… they also audit
their waste.
The department took home two accolades at this year’s awards – one for reducing their waste to landfill and the other for their success in engaging staff in recycling.
Peter Noble, Inland Revenue Govt3 champion, says they have groups of passionate people throughout the department who are championing sustainability. “It’s great to have support from the grass roots up. All staff are very aware of sustainability issues and actively look for ways to improve the way we operate.”
The last year has seen major change at Inland Revenue. All staff now have recycling facilities at their desk. That’s more than 5,500 staff spread across 35 buildings in 16 towns and cities.
Old metal bins that sat under staff desks have been replaced with small desk-top cubes that collect less waste. Recycling bins for glass, plastics, cans and tins have been introduced in lunch rooms, and staff are encouraged to put paper into existing recycling bins.
Waste audits are carried out once a year for each site. This year they exceeded their expectations by reducing their waste to landfill by 35 per cent. That was 15 per cent ahead of their target. Noble is very proud of their achievements and claims it’s only the start.
“We have plans to roll out other recycling practices including composting food scraps, the safe and environmentally responsible disposal of toner cartridges, fluorescent tubes, old computers, monitors and furniture and we will also be looking at vehicle procurement,” said Noble.
Winning the ‘Engaging staff in Govt3’ award reflects Inland Revenue’s comprehensive communications strategy and the way the department’s sustainability team were able to actively reach people through a variety of communications.
“In the beginning we talked to 3,000 staff members face-to-face. We survey our staff every month and focus on a different sustainability topic every three months. We also use our intranet to reach staff, and screen savers to keep the latest topic on the agenda,” said Noble.
Inland Revenue’s inter-office shuttle service offers a sustainable transport option, and for the 2006/07 financial year, 18,907 passengers used the shuttle resulting in an increase of 140 per cent from the previous year.
The Govt3 Awards recognise achievements in eight categories ranging from transport and office consumables to staff participation and leadership. Congratulations to all those organisations that received an award or were highly commended.
Govt3 winners:
- Inland Revenue Department for recycling/waste minimisation and for engaging staff in Govt3 – agencies with more than 200 staff.
- New Zealand Police for sustainable buildings/fit-outs (environmentally sustainable design).
- Ministry for the Environment for office consumables and equipment.
- Housing New Zealand for sustainable transport.
- Accident Compensation Corporation for sustainable procurement practice and for leadership in Govt3 – agencies with more than 200 staff.
- Department of Corrections for sustainable improvement in energy efficiency.
- Ministry of Research, Science and Technology for engaging staff in Govt3 – agencies with less than 200 staff and for leadership in Govt3 – agencies with less than 200 staff.
For more information contact Kevin Broughton on (04) 439 7407 or email kevin.broughton@mfe.govt.nz
