hero missions

qpsu climate heroes
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mission four: waste month

Welcome to ‘Waste month’ in the Climate Heroes campaign.

Waste is an issue that is often forgotten about in the climate debate. However, wasteful consumption creates a lot of unnecessary electricity use that fuels climate change. The disposal of our everyday waste contributes about 3% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, as it degrades in landfill. By cutting our material waste, and by cutting excessive, wasteful consumption, we can reduce our greenhouse impact.

To reduce the unnecessary waste from this kit, we are sending this as an email briefing, and only the necessary printed materials via the post.

Hopefully everyone will be well on the way to delivering their Climate Heroes presentation in their offices now. Let QPSU know if you are having trouble organising a presentation and we’ll do our best to help you out.

Email us at climate@qpsu.org.au, or call 1800 177 244 with any questions you have. For the month of June, we are attacking waste. See below for the steps in this mission.

Step 1: No waste lunch email

The email invitation for the ‘No Waste Lunch’ appears as a download to the right. Tailor it to your workplace and send out the invitiation! We are sending you in the mail a wall-poster for the ‘Workplace Waste Race’.

Step 2: Climate Change and Waste

Also in the resources to the right, you will find an information sheet to learn about reducing waste and how it relates to climate change.

Share this information with your family or housemates, and stick it on your fridge to see how many of the ‘Action Notes’ you can take to make your home a lower-impact household.

Step 3: Workplace Waste Race

See the resource included above for a briefing on the ‘Workplace Waste Race’. You can send this document to your colleagues on June 5th via email, in addition to explaining the concept at the World Environment Day lunch, or if you have a workplace without email you can print out a copy and stick it up with the large poster that we are sending you.

On Friday 27th of June, take down your poster and email your total savings for the month to climate@ qpsu.org.au. We will compare workplaces and judge a winner, runner up, and a ‘most wasteful’ office – all to be awarded a special prize!

Step 4: No Junk Thanks!

As part of the Waste Race, we are mailing you 10 ‘No Junk Mail’ stickers. Contact QPSU if you need any more!

You may also want to let your colleagues know that they can stop addressed junk mail by using the Direct Marketing Association’s Do Not Contact Service. Register at www. adma.com.au.

Step 5: Talk to your union delegate on the Consultative Committee

To reduce waste in the workplace there needs to be good systems in place, to help workers make environmentally-friendly choices. You may like to have a brainstorm at the World Environment Day lunch with your colleagues about proposals for reducing or recycling waste in the office. Some suggestions are included in your ‘Climate Change and Waste’ information sheet. Talk with your colleagues to see which ideas are most relevant in your workplace.

Queries and concerns

Don’t forget, if you have any queries or suggestions, email climate@qpsu.org.au or call 1800 177 244.

Good luck!