Carmarthenshire County Council has for some time taken its responsibilities towards the environment very seriously. By setting out a corporate framework to embed sustainable development/climate change in all services and activities, the Council have been able to make better use of their resources.The Council began by including sustainable development and climate change in the corporate strategy. Ensuring that it ws communicated that this theme was a priority. Following this, they created a campaign to engage all Council employed staff. The "GREEN OR MEAN? It's up to you" campaign was a mechanism to encourage staff to pledge to save energy, save resources, travel wisely, shop ethically and care for their area. The campaign even has it's own pages on the Carmarthenshire County Council's website.Other techniques were used to raise the profile of the campaign and the communicate the importance of sustainable development and climate change to the Council. This included:
Setting up a Corporate Sustainable Development Steering Group
A training programme for 3rd tier managers
Regular features in the monthly staff publication
Eco-fairs
The Council's own awards programme - The Shine Awards.
Even the Chief Executive, Mark James issued a call to arms saying "All council staff , regardless of their role with the authority, are encouraged to join a Green Team" Green Teams have now been established in all the main council sites across the county. These groups work together to come up with ideas to reduce waste and save energy whilst encouraging their colleagues to join in.
The Green Teams have accomplished many things:
- Installed water saving devices in toilets
- Installed 'inteliplugs' in all offices
- Replaced all light bulbs across all sites with energy efficient light bulbs
- Installed 7 day timers on printers and photocopiers
- Encouraged recycling by providing separate bins for different types of waste
- Promoted the reuse of plastic carrier bags by encouraging people to bring them in so that the Council can provide market stall holders with a supply of carrier bags
- Cancelled hundred of unwanted publications such as the Yellow Pages which all staff are able to access online.
- Reduced the number of bins in offices
- Replaced bottled water stations with plumbed in ones and removed all disposable cups
- Promoted sustainable procurement
- As a result of a Council wide survey results, rationalised the number of printers and set their default to duplex printing
- Strategically placed common sense notices i.e. switch lights off, turn taps off
- Held a Green Team Conference in 2008 so that ideas can be shared across teams, priorities can be discussed and objectives set and action plans produced.
Neil Evans
Carmarthenshire County Council
County Hall
Carmarthen
Carmarthenshire
SA31 1JP
Tel: 01267 234567
Email:
