BSBSUS501

Develop workplace policies and procedures for

sustainability
Learner Guide

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BSBSUS501
Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents...................................................................................................................................3
Unit of Competency............................................................................................................................6
Performance Criteria...........................................................................................................................7
Foundation Skills.................................................................................................................................8
Assessment Requirements..................................................................................................................9
Housekeeping Items..............................................................................................................................10
Objectives.............................................................................................................................................10
1. Develop workplace sustainability policy..........................................................................................11
1.1 – Define scope of sustainability policy............................................................................................11
1.2 – Gather information from a range of sources to plan and develop policy.....................................12
Sources..............................................................................................................................................12
Policy scope.......................................................................................................................................12
Ecological foot printing.....................................................................................................................13
Energy Efficiency Opportunities Bill 2005..........................................................................................13
Global reporting initiative.................................................................................................................14
Green office guide.............................................................................................................................14
Sustainable procurement guide........................................................................................................15
Green house challenge plus..............................................................................................................15
Life cycle analyses.............................................................................................................................15
Product stewardship.........................................................................................................................16
Supply chain management................................................................................................................16
Sustainability covenants/compacts...................................................................................................16
Triple bottom line reporting..............................................................................................................17
Your approach...................................................................................................................................17
Activity 1A.........................................................................................................................................18
1.3 – Identify and consult stakeholders as a key component of the policy development process........19
Who are your stakeholders?.............................................................................................................19
Sustainability advice..........................................................................................................................19
Activity 1B.........................................................................................................................................20

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1.4 – Include appropriate strategies in policy at all stages of work for minimising resource use,
reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use, and employing life cycle management
approaches............................................................................................................................................21
Raise awareness at work...................................................................................................................21
Minimise resource use......................................................................................................................21
Reduce toxic material and hazardous chemical use..........................................................................22
Life-cycle management approaches..................................................................................................22
Activity 1C.........................................................................................................................................23
1.5 – Make recommendations for policy options based on likely effectiveness, timeframes and cost.24
Estimate time, cost and likely effectiveness......................................................................................24
Make recommendations...................................................................................................................24
Activity 1D.........................................................................................................................................25
1.6 – Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability as an integral part
of business planning and as a business opportunity.............................................................................26
How can we demonstrate a commitment to sustainability?.............................................................26
A business opportunity.....................................................................................................................27
Activity 1E.........................................................................................................................................28
1.7 – Agree to appropriate methods of implementation, outcomes and performance indicators.......29
Meet with managers and supervisors...............................................................................................29
Key performance indicators..............................................................................................................29
Activity 1F..........................................................................................................................................30
2. Communicate workplace sustainability policy.................................................................................31
2.1 – Promote workplace sustainability policy, including its expected outcome, to key stakeholders. 32
Promote sustainability policy............................................................................................................32
Activity 2A.........................................................................................................................................33
2.2 – Inform those involved in implementing the policy about expected outcomes, activities to be
undertaken and assigned responsibilities.............................................................................................34
Outcomes expected..........................................................................................................................34
Activities to be undertaken...............................................................................................................34
By whom?.........................................................................................................................................34
Activity 2B.........................................................................................................................................35
3. Implement workplace sustainability policy......................................................................................36
3.1 – Develop and communicate procedures to help implement workplace sustainability policy........37
What is a procedure?........................................................................................................................37
Developing procedures.....................................................................................................................37

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Communicating procedures..............................................................................................................37
Activity 3A.........................................................................................................................................38
3.2 – Implement strategies for continuous improvement in resource efficiency..................................39
What is continuous improvement?...................................................................................................39
Create the right culture.....................................................................................................................39
Activity 3B.........................................................................................................................................40
3.3 – Establish and assign responsibility for recording systems to track continuous improvements in
sustainability approaches......................................................................................................................41
How to track continuous improvement............................................................................................41
Assign responsibility..........................................................................................................................41
Activity 3C.........................................................................................................................................43
4. Review workplace sustainability policy implementation..................................................................44
4.1 – Document outcomes and provide feedback to key personnel and stakeholders.........................45
Providing feedback............................................................................................................................45
Activity 4A.........................................................................................................................................46
4.2 – Investigate successes or otherwise of policy................................................................................47
Investigating successes or otherwise of the policy............................................................................47
Barriers to success.............................................................................................................................47
Strategies to remove barriers...........................................................................................................47
Strategies to overcome a lack of communication:................................................................................48
Activity 4B.........................................................................................................................................49
4.3 – Monitor records to identify trends that may require remedial action and use to promote
continuous improvement of performance............................................................................................50
4.4 – Modify policy and or procedures as required to ensure improvements are made......................50
Monitor records and identify trends.................................................................................................50
Finding a solution..............................................................................................................................50
Activity 4C.........................................................................................................................................51
Skills and Knowledge Activity............................................................................................................52
Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit................................................................................53
References............................................................................................................................................55

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Unit of Competency

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to develop and implement a workplace
sustainability policy and to modify the policy to suit changed circumstances.

It applies to individuals with managerial responsibilities who undertake work developing approaches to
create, monitor and improve strategies and policies within workplaces and engage with a range of
relevant stakeholders and specialists.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Sector

Industry Capability Sustainability

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Performance Criteria
Element Performance Criteria
Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to
essential outcomes. demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Develop workplace 1.1 Define scope of sustainability policy

sustainability policy 1.2 Gather information from a range of sources to plan and
develop policy
1.3 Identify and consult stakeholders as a key component of the
policy development process
1.4 Include appropriate strategies in policy at all stages of work
for minimising resource use, reducing toxic material and
hazardous chemical use, and employing life cycle
management approaches
1.5 Make recommendations for policy options based on likely
effectiveness, timeframes and cost
1.6 Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment
to sustainability as an integral part of business planning and
as a business opportunity
1.7 Agree to appropriate methods of implementation, outcomes
and performance indicators

2. Communicate 2.1 Promote workplace sustainability policy, including its

workplace expected outcome, to key stakeholders
sustainability policy 2.2 Inform those involved in implementing the policy about
expected outcomes, activities to be undertaken and
assigned responsibilities

3. Implement workplace 3.1 Develop and communicate procedures to help implement

sustainability policy workplace sustainability policy
3.2 Implement strategies for continuous improvement in
resource efficiency
3.3 Establish and assign responsibility for recording systems to
track continuous improvements in sustainability approaches

4. Review workplace 4.1 Document outcomes and provide feedback to key personnel
sustainability policy and stakeholders
implementation 4.2 Investigate successes or otherwise of policy
4.3 Monitor records to identify trends that may require remedial
action and use to promote continuous improvement of
performance
4.4 Modify policy and or procedures as required to ensure
improvements are made

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Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the
performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Skill Performance Description

Criteria

Reading 1.1, 1.2, 4.2, 4.3  Identifies, analyses and evaluates complex textual
information to determine legislative and regulatory
requirements, trends and outcomes

Writing 1.2-1.7, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1,  Researches, plans and prepares documentation using
3.3, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4 format and language appropriate to context, organisational
requirements and audience

Oral 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1,  Presents information and seeks advice using language
Communication 4.1 appropriate to audience
 Participates in discussions using listening and questioning
to elicit the views of others and to clarify or confirm
understanding

Numeracy 1.5, 4.3  Interprets and uses mathematical equations to calculate

numerical information relating to time durations and costs

Navigate the 1.1-1.6, 3.1, 4.4  Develops, monitors and modifies organisational policies
world of work and procedures in accordance with legislative
requirements and organisation goals

Interact with 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1,  Selects and uses appropriate conventions and protocols
others 3.3, 4.1, 4.3 when communicating with internal and external
stakeholders to seek or share information
 Plays a lead role in consulting and negotiating positive
outcomes with a range of stakeholders

Get the work 1.2, 1.4-1.7, 2.3, 2.4,  Plans, organises and implements work activities of self and
done 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, others that ensure compliance with organisational policies
4.1, 4.3, 4.4 and procedures, and legislative requirements
 Sequences and schedules complex activities, monitors
implementation, and manages relevant communication
 Uses systematic, analytical processes in relatively complex,
situations, setting goals, gathering relevant information,
and identifying and evaluating options against agreed
criteria
 Evaluates outcomes of decisions to identify opportunities
for improvement

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Assessment Requirements
Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

 Scope and develop organisational policies and procedures that comply with legislative requirements
and support the organisation’s sustainability goals covering at a minimum:
o Minimising resource use
o Resource efficiency
o Reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use
o Employing life cycle management approaches
o Continuous improvement
 Plan and implement sustainability policy and procedures including:
o Agreed outcomes
o Performance indicators
o Activities to be undertaken
o Assigned responsibilities
o Record keeping, review and improvement processes
 Consult and communicate with relevant stakeholders to generate engagement with sustainability
policy development, implementation and continuous improvement
 Review and improve sustainability policies.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:
 Outline the environmental or sustainability legislation, regulations and codes of practice applicable
to the organisation identify internal and external sources of information and explain how they can
be used to plan and develop the organisation’s sustainability policy
 Explain policy development processes and practices
 Outline organisational systems and procedures that relate to sustainability
 Outline typical barriers to implementing policies and procedures in an organisation and possible
strategies to address them.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates

consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the sustainability field of work and include
access to:
 Relevant legislation, regulations, standards and codes
 Relevant workplace documentation and resources
 Case studies and, where possible, real situations
 Interaction with others.

Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.

Links

Companion volumes available from the IBSA website: http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes -

http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes

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Housekeeping Items

Your trainer will inform you of the following:

 Where the toilets and fire exits are located, what the emergency procedures are and
where the breakout and refreshment areas are.

 Any rules, for example asking that all mobile phones are set to silent and of any
security issues they need to be aware of.

 What times the breaks will be held and what the smoking policy is.

 That this is an interactive course and you should ask questions.

 That to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each
other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn.

 Ground rules for participation:

o Smile

o Support and encourage other participants

o When someone is contributing everyone else is quiet

o Be patient with others who may not be grasping the ideas

o Be on time

o Focus discussion on the topic

o Speak to the trainer if you have any concerns

Objectives

 Discover how to develop workplace sustainability policy

 Know how to communicate workplace sustainability policy

 Learn how to implement workplace sustainability policy

 Understand how to review workplace sustainability policy implementation

 Gain skills and knowledge required for this unit

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1. Develop workplace sustainability policy

1.1. Define scope of sustainability policy

1.2. Gather information from a range of sources to plan and develop policy

1.3. Identify and consult stakeholders as a key component of the policy development process

1.4. Include appropriate strategies in policy at all stages of work for minimising resource use,
reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use, and employing life cycle management
approaches

1.5. Make recommendations for policy options based on likely effectiveness, timeframes and cost

1.6. Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability as an integral part
of business planning and as a business opportunity

1.7. Agree to appropriate methods of implementation, outcomes and performance indicators

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1.1 – Define scope of

sustainability policy
1.2 – Gather
information from a
range of sources to
plan and develop policy

Sources
There are many sources
you can obtain information
from to help you plan and
develop your policy.

These may include:

 Legislati
on and

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regulatory authorities – you will need to check to see if there is legislation your
company needs to abide by.

 Voluntary schemes sometimes offer information and guides to help you e.g. Green
office guide.

 Stakeholders:

o Customers

o Employees at all levels of the organisation

o Government

o Investors

o Local community

o Other organisations

o Regulators

o Suppliers.

Policy scope
When developing a workplace sustainability policy the first thing to address is the scope of that policy.

You will need to address sustainability initiatives through reference to standards, guidelines and
approaches such as:
 Ecological foot printing

 Energy Efficiency Opportunities Bill 2005

 Global Reporting Initiative

 Green office program

 Green purchasing

 Greenhouse challenge plus (Australian government initiative)

 ISO 14001:1996 environmental management systems life cycle analyses

 Life cycle analyses

 Product stewardship

 Supply chain management

 Sustainability covenants/compacts

 Triple bottom line reporting.

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You will need to decide if there are regulations in place or legislation it is your obligation to follow and
decide how to address these in terms of what you want to achieve.

Ecological foot printing

‘ A country’s ecological footprint is the sum of all the cropland, grazing land, forest and fishing grounds
required to produce the food, fibre and timber it consumes, to absorb wastes emitted when it uses
energy and to provide space for infastructure’

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/ecological_footpri
nt/ (accessed 17/10/2014).

The Living planet report conducted by WWF in 2014 found that we need 18 billion hectares of
productive land and we only have 12 billion.

If the rest of the world lived like Australia we’d need 3.6 Earths to sustain our
demands on nature’

How much is your organisation consuming?

A good place to start is to work out your organisation’s foot print. This will give you a benchmark for
future reviews to demonstrate statistically how much you have reduced it. Unless you are a very small
organisation you will probably need help with this. You could consider contacting WWF’s sustainability
advisors for more information.

Energy Efficiency Opportunities Bill 2005

Under this Act all large controlling corporations that have met or exceeded their energy use threshold
should undertake an assessment to analyse where they could improve efficiency. This report should be
published for public view to demonstrate that they are managing their energy responsibly. Assessment
will need to be approved and there are a number of requirements for an assessment plan.

For more information on this please go to http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2005B00167 (accessed

17/102014)

You must determine whether you need to register your organisation as there are regulations in place
that you will need to meet.

Global reporting initiative

The global reporting initiative wants to make it standard practice for all organisations regardless of size
or sector to report on their sustainability.

What is a sustainability report?

A report published about an organisation’s ‘economic, environmental and social impacts caused by its
everyday activities’

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https://www.globalreporting.org/information/sustainability-reporting/Pages/default.aspx (accessed
17/10/2014)

How can the Global Reporting Initiative help?

The Global reporting initiative have produced guidelines for the reporting of an organisation’s
sustainability and offer help to organisation’s that need or want to create such a report.

They offer a guide on what to disclose and how to write the report to ensure it is:
 Balanced

 Comparable

 Accurate

 Timely

 Clear

 Reliable.

https://www.globalreporting.org/resourcelibrary/GRIG4- Part1-
Reporting-Principles-and-Standard-Disclosures.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Green office guide

This guide helps organisations to create a more environmentally friendly office environment. It suggests
in general organisations:

 Choose ENERGY STAR office equipment which is classed as more environmentally

friendly and typically features things like sleep modes.

 Train staff to use equipment appropriately to ensure energy saving systems is turned
on when equipment is in use.

 Use green power which is energy generated from renewable sources such as wind,
solar, biomass and mini-hydro.

It also gives advice about specific computer equipment e.g. desktop computers and monitors,
photocopiers, printers, Fax machines, multifunction devices and air-conditioning systems.

http://www.environment.gov.au/archive/settlements/publications/government/purchasing/green-
office-guide/pubs/green-office-guide.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Sustainable procurement guide

Sustainable procurement means thinking about the products or services that you buy and assessing
their environmental, social and economic sustainability. ‘Value for money is the core principle
underpinning Australian Government procurement’. This involves looking at the purchase price,
maintenance costs, operating costs and disposal costs.

Other principles of sustainable procurement include:

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 Adopting strategies to avoid unnecessary consumption and manage demand.

 Minimising environmental impacts over the life of the goods and services by choosing
products or services that have lower adverse impacts associated with any stage in their
production, use or disposal.

 Fostering innovation in sustainable products and services through the design and
implementation of procurements.

 Ensuring that fair and ethical sourcing practices are applied and that suppliers are
complying with socially responsible practices, including legislative obligations to
employees.

http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/7b8df2bd-3bb9-49cc-b417-
5f2eb6e0ce37/files/sustainable-procurement-guide.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Green house challenge plus

This initiative ceased on 1st of July 2009.

Life cycle analyses

Life cycle analyses involve assessing the whole life of products and services to measure advantages and
disadvantages of using the product or service in question. This is a very complex and technical method
to measure the impact of a product for its duration.

It covers:
 Extraction of raw materials

 Product manufacturing

 Packaging and distribution

 Product usage/consumption

 End-of-life disposal.

http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/7b8df2bd-3bb9-49cc-b417-
5f2eb6e0ce37/files/sustainable-procurement-guide.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Product stewardship
Good product stewards are people/companies who set a good example and recycle and reduce their
waste. The product Stewardship Act 2011 ‘allows for products to be regulated in several ways while also
making provision for voluntary activities’.

 Voluntary accreditation - organisations can become accredited providing they meet a

specific set of requirements.

 Co-regulatory – is where the Australian Government regulates the scheme but they are
conveyed by industry e.g. recycling targets.

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 Mandatory – would mean a legal obligation to carry out product stewardship.

For more information on product stewardship please take a look at the following website:
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/3947fa3a-8404-472c-92c9-
1745e6954558/files/fs-product-stewardship-act.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Supply chain management

You should think about managing your supply chain in terms of procurement, transport and services, in
order to make it greener. For example if you use wooden pallets to help transport items you could
consider using biodegradable pallets from Biofiba (patent pending) see the website:
http://www.biofiba.com/biofiba/what-is-biofiba.html (accessed 17/10/2014)

You could also think about:

 Upgrading your technology so that it is more
efficient

 Analyse the use of your raw materials e.g. wood,

stone, cotton

 Can you reduce packaging or make it recyclable?

 Can you reduce or eliminate waste?

 Are you located in the best place for your business? Can you bring the elements of the
chain closer together?

 Is your transport the best in can be in terms of emissions?

 Are your suppliers sustainable?

Sustainability covenants/compacts
By volunteering to work alongside the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create new
opportunities for sustainability, you can ‘receive statutory recognition for leadership and commitment
shown to the environment through efforts to achieve resource use efficiencies and to reduce the
ecological impacts of products and services’ http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/our-work/programs/epa-
strikeforce-program (accessed 17/10/2014).

Triple bottom line reporting

Triple bottom line reporting consists of three bottom lines, measuring:

 The profits and losses of an organisation

 How socially responsible an organisation is

 How environmentally responsible an organisation is.

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These get measured over time to deduce the sustainability of a business. Of course it is incredibly
difficult to measure certain elements, for example social responsibility i.e. not knowing that children are
working to supply their goods.

Your approach
You will need to decide on your approach to sustainability:
 Are you going to focus on each aspect (environmental, economic or social) individually
or integrate them?

 How are you going to investigate particular business and market context of the
industry/organisation?

 What legislation do you have to consider? You will need to consider relevant laws,
regulations or best practices to support compliance in environmental performance and
sustainability at each level as required:

o International

o Commonwealth

o State/territory

o Industry

o Organisation

 What parts of the organisation is it to apply? Is it for the whole organisation, one site,
one work area or a combination of these?

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Activity 1A

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1.3 – Identify and consult stakeholders as a key component of the policy

development process

Who are your stakeholders?

Stakeholders are individuals and groups both inside and outside the organisation who have some direct
interest in the organisation's conduct, actions, products and services, including:

 Customers

 Employees at all levels of the organisation

 Government

 Investors

 Local community

 Other organisations

 Regulators

 Suppliers.

How can you consult with them?

This will depend on the type of stakeholder and what their interest in your organisation is. You will need
to consider the rights of your stakeholders; investors for example may be entitled to vote on certain
issues. Getting investors involved will mean discussing the financial implications and the benefits to the
organisation in terms of increased efficiency.

Think about key personnel within the organisation and specialists outside the organisation who may
have particular technical expertise. You could think about holding a meeting, setting up a sustainability
work group and sending questionnaires out to stakeholders for their ideas.

Sustainability advice
Some companies offer sustainability advice that helps you to plan and develop your policy. For example,
WWF’s sustainability advisors can recommend more sustainable ways to operate. WWF encourages
reform across many businesses and industries.

Some of the most prominent include:

 Certified sustainable palm oil production

 Sustainable forestry

 Climate change and renewable energies

 Water management

 Sustainable beef

 Sustainable sugar

 Sustainable finance.
 http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/hu
man_footprint/what_wwf_is_doing/ (accessed 17/10/2014)

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Activity 1B

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1.4 – Include appropriate strategies in policy at all stages of work for minimising
resource use, reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use, and
employing life cycle management approaches

Raise awareness at work

Consider promotional activities at work to help raise awareness among staff and stakeholders. Promote
the benefits to stakeholders e.g. how creating a sustainability policy will reduce costs and make work
more efficient. Inform customers of how you are trying to become more sustainable and responsible.

You could:
 Have a competition e.g. people who think of new ideas could be rewarded/given
incentives or personal carbon footprint competitions – those who reduce their
footprint the most are rewarded.

 Ask for volunteers to join an environmental group to help raise more awareness.

 Advertise lifts – encourage staff to buddy-up when travelling by car to work.

 Build showers and bike racks to encourage people to bike or jog to work.

 Train staff in sustainability principles and techniques e.g. to use any new equipment as
part of the scheme or any new procedures like changing settings to double-sided etc.

Minimise resource use

 Make it easy to recycle in the workplace, try recycling:

o Paper and card

o Glass

o Plastic

o Batteries

o Aluminium

o Printer cartridges

 Encourage staff to use crockery cups/glasses for their drinks rather than plastic
disposable cups

 Create a compost bin for food waste

 Recycle electrical equipment e.g. computers, printer, fridges, microwaves etc.

 Buy products that have minimal packaging

 Remind staff to recycle through internal email or posters

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 Think about restricting the ordering of stationary – create a special ordering system

 Buy laptops rather than desktops as they use less energy

 LCD screens are more space and energy efficient

 Consider EMO software to turn computers off

automatically in non-working hours e.g. overnight or
weekends

 Reduce margin settings so that printer uses less paper

 Consider using recycled paper

 Print double-sided

 Use electronic filing systems to save paper

 Think about utilising video conferences – instead of travelling to conferences.

For greener office ideas go to:

http://www.environment.gov.au/archive/settlements/publications/government/purchasing/green-
office-guide/pubs/green-office-guide.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Reduce toxic material and hazardous chemical use

Workplaces often use toxic material – it can be found in electrical products e.g. computers. Chemicals
used in the workplace may include acids, oxidizers, poisons and solvents. It is important to think about
how you can reduce the use of these substances. Some ideas can be found below:

 Use environmentally friendly cleaning products (those that have been made using
natural resources instead of chemical i.e. lemon juice).

 Buy natural soap for use in the bathrooms.

 Sometimes it might be difficult to eliminate entirely the use of toxic material in this
case consider looking for products with a reduction.

 Use ink and toner saving settings on equipment such as printers and photocopiers.

Life-cycle management approaches

 Think about ways to prolong the life of products; do not throw away perfectly good
products as somebody may be able to use them, for example you could try donating
old computers.

 Buy Fairtrade products wherever possible e.g. canteen can buy Fairtrade tea, coffee
and sugar.

 Buy products used in the workplace from other companies that are environmentally
and socially aware.

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Activity 1C

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1.5 – Make recommendations for policy options based on likely effectiveness,

timeframes and cost

Estimate time, cost and likely effectiveness

You will need to research the cost, timeframes and likely effectiveness of all of the proposed changes.
Some changes will be more costly initially and you will need to be able to justify their value; are they
more effective in the long term?

You can categorise where individual aspects of a plan fit within timeframes, cost and effectiveness by
dividing those three elements into more specific comparable entities. Work out the categories based on
your proposed changes – the following are just examples.

Time can be divided as follows:

 Immediate effect

 Under 6 months

 Over 6 months

 Over 2 years

Cost can be divided as follows:

 £1000 and under

 £1000 - £5000

 Over £5000

You then need to judge the likely effectiveness. This can be quite difficult. You should first decide on
what could go wrong or have a negative impact on the effectiveness of each proposed change. For
example, if people are needed to implement the changes, they may forget or get it wrong which could
negatively impact on the proposed changes.

You should also investigate how much of an improvement each change will make. Will the effect be
drastic or minimal?

Make recommendations
Now you need to make recommendations for the best policy options. The best options will be those
that have immediate effect, cost £1000 under and are guaranteed or highly likely to be effective. This is
rare and you will more likely find that there are some tough decisions to be made. Some really effective
ways to become a more sustainable organisation may in fact be the more expensive options.

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Activity 1D

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1.6 – Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to

sustainability as an integral part of business planning and as a business
opportunity

How can we demonstrate a commitment to sustainability?

To demonstrate that your organisation is committed to sustainability, you will need to ensure that you
are constantly thinking about new ways to improve economic efficiency, environmental and social
sustainability in all aspects and levels of your organisation.

This means:
 Products and services you supply

 Products and services you use

 The building you work in

 Transportation

 Procedures and efficiency

 Training staff and staff incentives.

Whenever you undertake planning you will need to think:

Is there a more sustainable way of doing this? For example if your organisation is planning to expand
and needs new offices are there ways of ensuring the most sustainable option is achieved?

Eco-builds feature:
 Solar panels for heating water

 Water conservation

 Low energy bulbs

 Cellulose insulation

 Non-toxic paints

 Timber that is grown from sustainably managed forests.

http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/ecofriendlyconstruction.html (accessed 17/10/2014)

Some of these methods and materials you can also use if you refurbish your offices and switching to
low-energy bulbs is a simple way to reduce energy consumption.

Tip: Track your company’s footprint and set yearly targets as part of a continuous improvement.
sraegy.

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A business opportunity
Thinking of sustainability as an opportunity means thinking about its advantages for the business. There
are many advantages for business today to become sustainable.

Businesses that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability achieve:

 A positive reputation

 A more efficient/cost effective business

 A more financially secure working environment

 A culture of innovation.

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Activity 1E

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1.7 – Agree to appropriate methods of implementation, outcomes and

performance indicators

Meet with managers and supervisors

The first step is to gather everybody involved in the implementation process up and hold a meeting to
discuss methods of implementation. Think hard about the advantages and disadvantages of each. Be
sure to remain open to ideas and aim to agree on the best methods for implementation.

Options may include:

 Hold a staff meeting to discuss sustainability (if you are a part of a large organisation
and you cannot all feasibly meet together you could meet in departments/groups).

 Meet with staff again to discuss changes to responsibilities (again, do this in groups so
that people understand each other’s responsibilities).

 Break the overall sustainability down into its components.

 Think about what you want to achieve as outcomes.

 Introduce implementation in phases so that staff do not feel overwhelmed.

 Discuss the time limit for the implementation and if you have decided to implement in
phases, the time limit for each phase.

Key performance indicators

Measurable performance indicators or KPI’s are values that can help to demonstrate the performance
of an organisation. They are measurable and help to indicate how effectively a company is performing in
relation to their goals and objectives.

A good KPI should be:

 Available

 Measurable

 Relevant

 Timely

 Useful.

Measurable performance indicators may be developed:

 From a strategic plan

 In consultation with those who will undertake the specific tasks.

As part of your plan you should set realistic performance indicators to act as goals for the sustainability
policy, for example you may want to achieve an increased awareness of sustainability in your
organisation one month after the implementation of the policy. For this you could create a survey to

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gather data from stakeholders e.g. staff members, to test their awareness. This could be carried out
before the implementation of policies and procedures and after to test the awareness.

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Activity 1F

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2. Communicate workplace sustainability policy

2.1. Promote workplace sustainability policy, including its expected outcome, to key stakeholders

2.2. Inform those involved in implementing the policy about expected outcomes, activities to be
undertaken and assigned responsibilities

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2.1 – Promote workplace sustainability policy, including its expected outcome,

to key stakeholders

Promote sustainability policy

Remember, stakeholders can be internal or external for example:
 Customers

 Employees at all levels of the organisation

 Government

 Investors

 Local community

 Other organisations

 Regulators

 Suppliers.

Promoting your workplace sustainability policy is about getting support, recognition and building a good
reputation and strong links with other organisations involved with yours e.g. suppliers. Think about your
key stakeholders and how you can promote your sustainability policy to them – how does it benefit
them?

 Does it reduce their costs?

 Does it enhance their reputation?

 Does it mean recognition from the Government?

 Does it mean you are abiding by regulations?

 Does it mean savings for the company that you can use elsewhere? (E.g. is there a pay rise for staff?)

You can promote these benefits in a variety of ways:

 Create a website or add a page to an existing website about your commitment to sustainability and your
proposed changes.

 Write letters, emails or newsletters to investors, customers, suppliers and staff to keep them updated.

 Get involved with the local community somehow or advertise locally (if appropriate):

o Use stands at a supermarket

o Signs and billboards

o Sponsor a local sports team

o Get involved with community projects e.g. select staff to volunteer for the day.

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Activity 2A

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2.2 – Inform those involved in implementing the policy about expected

outcomes, activities to be undertaken and assigned responsibilities

Outcomes expected
Be specific – set specific targets that are achievable and measurable e.g. we want to reduce our use of
paper by 50%. Our current usage is 50 cases per month. The aim is clear here; you are aiming to reduce
paper to 25 cases per month.

Do not set too many all at once as this could result in confusion for both staff and managers. Once
employees have become accustomed to one or two changes you can introduce more. This ensures a
smoother transition into the whole process and allows time to tackle any early day problems.

Activities to be undertaken
Now you need to address the activities you want staff to take in order for your goals to be achieved.

For the reduction of paper by 50% for example, staff need to be told to:
 Only print or use the photocopier when necessary

 Use scrap paper to jot or write notes on

 Print double-sided

 Use electronic communication wherever possible.

By whom?
You will then need to delegate responsibilities. Staff need to know who to go to when they face
problems or need help. You could assign a green team to help promote sustainability practices and
remind staff to employ those practices. They could be a first point of call for problems. You could also
give a supervisor or manager of a team the responsibility for the green team and they could be the next
point of contact.

In this scenario (reducing paper by 50%) a supervisor could be given the responsibilities of:
 Setting a good example and doing as instructed

 Ensuring everyone in their team knows where scrap paper can be found

 The responsibility of ordering the paper

 Checking the usage of the paper – how much has been used each month

 Helping with any problems that may arise because of the changes e.g. instructing staff
how to print double-sided.

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Activity 2B

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3. Implement workplace sustainability policy

3.1. Develop and communicate procedures to help implement workplace sustainability policy

3.2. Implement strategies for continuous improvement in resource efficiency

3.3. Establish and assign responsibility for recording systems to track continuous improvements in
sustainability approaches

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3.1 – Develop and communicate procedures to help implement workplace

sustainability policy

What is a procedure?
A procedure is a set of instructions informing you how to do something. It may specify who is
responsible for the action i.e. manager or all employees, it often includes information about where and
when e.g. after finishing work for the day you must shut down your computer and make sure it is turned
off.

Developing procedures
You will need to create a procedure that is practical for your company. An example of a simple paper
recycling procedure can be found below:

Once full take to

Paper recycling Fill paper recylcing paper wheelie bins
boxes boxes at desk. located outside of
your buidling.

For confidential In certain situations

Paper recycling documents place in you may need to
the lockable bin use a shredder –
bins found outside your please ask your
office. supervisor.

You may also need to add contact numbers for any problems e.g. if you do not have access to recycling
boxes or bins. These notices can be placed around the desk area, put in an employee handbook and
emailed to employees as part of the communication plan for implementing the policy.

Communicating procedures
The flowchart above is only one example of how information could be presented – it works well with
this procedure as it is simple and clear. It can be used on the side of the paper recycling box.

However for more lengthy or complicated procedures you will need to think about the best approach to
communicate your ideas. You may need a full poster or word document to explain the procedure. This
might have both text and images or diagrams that are informative and display the actions of the
procedure. Think about the use of pictograms and why they are used for communicating information
about hazardous substances. Pictograms catch the attention of the reader, communicating instantly
that an item is hazardous and has a harmful effect.

When communicating procedures ask:

 Who is the target audience?

 What information am I trying to convey?

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 What format will best suit the information?

Activity 3A

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3.2 – Implement strategies for continuous improvement in resource efficiency

What is continuous improvement?

Continuous improvement is the constant determination to improve products, services or processes. This
can be a result of an idea and happen instantly or it can be a gradual progression over time.

Create the right culture

To continually improve, employees need to be on the look-out for potential improvements; they need
to be someone who alters the way they do something to see if it is more efficient or improves a service
etc. For staff to have the confidence to do this, supervisors and other members off staff need to be
accommodating of mistakes and encourage people to try new things within the limits of their
responsibilities. Supervisors need to be approachable so that staff will share potential improvements
with them and trial them out.

Strategies to help develop a continual development culture:

 Train staff appropriately; this will help to encourage
new ideas and motivate employees.

 Use constructive criticism to help staff achieve their full

potential.

 Rewards should be in place wherever possible for staff

who develop ways to improve.

 Promote the reward structure – nobody will be

motivated by it if they do not know about it.

 Staff progression should be highlighted; successful

stories could be turned into case studies for others to
aspire to.

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Activity 3B

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3.3 – Establish and assign responsibility for recording systems to track

continuous improvements in sustainability approaches

How to track continuous improvement

Continuous improvement can be tracked using a variety of methods all of which need to be
documented for future reference.

 Regular audits and spot checks

 Meetings with staff once a week about procedures

 Ask staff regularly (e.g. at meeting once a week)

for ways to improve

 Complaints, feedback and suggestion forms

 Staff incentives/rewards

 Disciplinary for staff.

Assign responsibility
You will need to establish and assign responsibility for using systems to record and track continuous
improvement in your sustainability approaches.

To assign responsibility you will need to decide if you need a team of people for recording data and
tracking improvements. This is more likely if you are part of a large organisation. A smaller organisation
is less likely to need a whole team, a manager or a supervisor may be enough. If you need to delegate
responsibility you could advertise internally so that people can volunteer themselves. This is a good way
to ensure you get the most motivated people for the position.

You will then need to decide on the tasks that need to be done and the people who will be doing
them:

 Someone could be responsible for conducting spot checks and audits including writing
a checklist of procedures to audit. These could be changed systematically.

o What procedures are not getting completed accordingly?

o What procedures are being completed correctly?

 Someone else for arranging meetings and writing down suggestions/ taking minutes
from those meetings.

o What suggestions are being made?

o Write down both positive and negative feedback?

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 Complaints, feedback and suggestions forms should be sent out on a regular basis and
filed appropriately.

o What are people complaining about?

o Who is complaining? E.g. is there a specific type of stakeholder who consistently

complains or area that is receiving the most complaints?

 Staff incentives and rewards should be noted if due to improvements in efficiency or

regarding sustainability:

o Are people being rewarded consistently?

 The disciplining of staff will need to be recorded anyway but someone should be in
charge of gathering disciplinary information regarding sustainability issues (a manager
is perhaps more suited for this role).

o Are people being disciplined consistently?

o What are the reasons for the discipline? E.g. do they need more training?

An example suggestion form:

Your suggestions

Date:

Name:

Address:

Contact telephone/email:

Do you have any concerns you would like us to

know about?

How do you think we could improve?

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Activity 3C

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4. Review workplace sustainability policy implementation

4.1. Document outcomes and provide feedback to key personnel and stakeholders

4.2. Investigate successes or otherwise of policy

4.3. Monitor records to identify trends that may require remedial action and use to promote
continuous improvement of performance

4.4. Modify policy and or procedures as required to ensure improvements are made

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4.1 – Document outcomes and provide feedback to key personnel and

stakeholders

Providing feedback
You may have to give feedback to stakeholders and key personnel regarding:
 Complaints or suggestions

 Audits

 Changes to procedures

 Rewards/disciplinary action outcomes.

You will need to decide on the best form of communication while also checking your policies and
procedures regarding the type of communication to use. Disciplinary outcomes may have to be
communicated formally in writing but it is also good practice to discuss these personally with the staff
member.

In order to document the outcomes of a suggestion, complaint or audit you will need to use a form or
template. This form is an example of a record that you could make to send to stakeholders (check your
policies and procedures – you may have to send communication electronically).

For office use

Reported to:

Action taken:

Date to be completed by:

Outcome:

Date the record was made:

Authorising person:

This form could also serve to record complaints. You may also like to put a note on the form saying ‘if
you would like to remain anonymous please leave contact details blank’. Remember to point out that
they cannot be informed of the implementation of the proposed suggestions or progress and outcomes
of any complaints made.

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Activity 4A

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4.2 – Investigate successes or otherwise of policy

Investigating successes or otherwise of the policy

Investigating the successes or failures of a policy ensures that you learn from it and consequently
improve it. Successes are great but where are you succeeding and why?

Investigate:
 Positive feedback

 What procedures are being completed correctly?

 Why people are being rewarded?

When looking at areas for improvement you will need to look at:
 What procedures are not getting completed
accordingly?

 Negative feedback.

 What people are complaining about?

 Who is complaining? Is there a specific type of stakeholder who consistently complains

or area that is receiving the most complaints?

 What are the reasons for the discipline? E.g. do they need more training?

Barriers to success
There are potential barriers to the successful implementation of policies and procedures. You will need
to bear these in mind in order to create successful policies and procedures.

Barriers may include:

 A lack of staff motivation

 Incoherent policies and procedures

 Lack of communication of policies and procedures to all staff

Strategies to remove barriers

Now you have identified the barriers to success, you should think about how you can overcome each of
them. We will focus on the three already mentioned, however you may identify some different barriers
and should consider these too.

There are several ways that you can help to motivate team members.

Strategies to help motivate the team include:

 Train staff appropriately; this will help to encourage new ideas and motivate
employees.

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 Use constructive criticism to help staff achieve their full potential.

 Rewards should be in place wherever possible for staff who develop ways to improve.

 Promote the reward structure – nobody will be motivated by it if they do not know
about it.

 Staff progression should be highlighted; successful stories could be turned into case
studies for others to aspire to.

Strategies to improve coherence of policies may include:

 Ensure documentation is written in the active voice rather than the passive, as this gets
the message across more directly and helps with concise
writing.

 Ensure documentation is concise; this means including the

right amount of information – not too little or too much. You
need to get to the point in as few words as possible; use
appropriate words, sentence structures and avoid frivolous
information that is not relevant.

 Check the grammar and spelling of documents and the use

of plain English for ease of understanding.

 Include pictures and diagrams where possible to reinforce

understanding.

Strategies to overcome a lack of communication:

 Create a communication plan

 Examine if there is a communication breakdown, where this lies? Are the managers
passing on correct information? Is there a department that is not getting the message?
Etc.

 Train staff in oral and written communication techniques

 Employ more than one method of communication e.g. posters, emails, website
information, presentations, meetings. This allows you to keep staff aware and prevent
them from forgetting about the policies and procedures in place.

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Activity 4B

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4.3 – Monitor records to identify trends that may require remedial action and
use to promote continuous improvement of performance
4.4 – Modify policy and or procedures as required to ensure improvements are
made

Monitor records and identify trends

Collate the evidence you have gathered from your investigations in 4.2. Records you may need to
monitor are:
 Regular audit and spot check documentation

 Meeting notes/minutes

 Complaints, feedback and suggestion forms

 Staff incentives/rewards

 Disciplinary statements for staff.

Have you found any trends?

A trend in this context is a pattern or general tendency appearing in the data. For example you may find
that people are being rewarded for recycling. This suggests that the recycling procedures and policies
are clear and everybody is happy with them.

You may also find, for example, that people are being disciplined for:
 Not turning computers off when they have finished working with them/overnight

 Not reducing margin settings so that the printer uses less paper

 Not printing double-sided.

If this is the case you can identify a trend; the new procedures for electronic equipment are not working
effectively.

Finding a solution
You should now try to find solutions for the problems identified and modify the policy and procedures
accordingly.

You could perhaps consider:

 Eliminating the need for a procedure e.g. Install EMO software to turn computers off
automatically in non-working hours i.e. overnight or weekends.

 Altering procedures to improve their clarity.

 Checking to see if all staff understand the procedures.

 Checking to see if all staff are capable of fulfilling the procedures e.g. are they trained
to complete the task?

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Activity 4C

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Skills and Knowledge Activity

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Nearly there...

Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit

At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find an activity titled ‘Major Activity’. This is an
opportunity to revise the entire unit and allows your trainer to check your knowledge and
understanding of what you have covered. It should take between and 1-2 hours to complete and your
trainer will let you know whether they wish for you to complete it in your own time or during session.
Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move onto the next, well done!

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Congratulations!

You have now finished the unit ‘Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability'.

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References

These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of
this Learner Guide.

Ecological footprint:
http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/ecological_footpri
nt/ (accessed 17/10/2014)

For more information on this please go to Energy Efficiency Opportunities Bill 2005:
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2005B00167 (accessed 17/102014)

Sustainability reporting: https://www.globalreporting.org/information/sustainability-

reporting/Pages/default.aspx (accessed 17/10/2014)

G4 sustainability reporting guidelines: https://www.globalreporting.org/resourcelibrary/GRIG4-Part1-

Reporting-Principles-and-Standard-Disclosures.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Green office guide:

http://www.environment.gov.au/archive/settlements/publications/government/purchasing/green-
office-guide/pubs/green-office-guide.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Sustainable procurement guide: http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/7b8df2bd-

3bb9-49cc-b417-5f2eb6e0ce37/files/sustainable-procurement-guide.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Product stewardship Act 2011: http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/3947fa3a-

8404-472c-92c9-1745e6954558/files/fs-product-stewardship-act.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Biofiba: http://www.biofiba.com/biofiba/what-is-biofiba.html (accessed 17/10/2014)

EPA Strikeforce program: http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/our-work/programs/epa-strikeforce-program

(accessed 17/10/2014)

Our human footprint:

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/what_wwf_is_doin
g/ (accessed 17/10/2014)

Green office guide:

http://www.environment.gov.au/archive/settlements/publications/government/purchasing/green-
office-guide/pubs/green-office-guide.pdf (accessed 17/10/2014)

Sustainable building methods: http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/ecofriendlyconstruction.html

(accessed 17/10/2014)

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