ACT public sector entities were prominent among the winners of the 2018 Actsmart Business Sustainability Awards.
The annual awards showcase the outstanding achievements of organisations participating in Actsmart Business programs.
Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury said the awards, now in their ninth year, this year saw a record 67 nominations for the 10 categories, ranging from waste minimisation to innovation and leadership.
He congratulated the winners, saying those who took part in Actsmart programs were making a difference.
Award winners from the public sector included:
Elections ACT for Waste Minimisation — On joining the program in 2009, Elections ACT sent 94 per cent of its waste to landfill, while this year it reduced this amount to 1 per cent.
ACT Health Directorate/The Canberra Hospital for Biggest Recycler — The Hospital separates waste into nine different steams. In the first two months of operation, 2.5 tonnes of organic waste has been processed using the Hospital’s new organics machine, “Feed Me Solutions”.
National Multicultural Festival for Biggest Recycler at a Large Event — The 2018 Festival attracted more than 200,000 people and recycled an outstanding 8,829 kg of material that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Ginninderry Joint Venture for Innovation Excellence — The “Link by Ginninderry” is a sustainability education facility showcasing sustainable building design and practices. As well as 110 solar PV panels with a 10 kWh battery storage unit, it also has an “Air Bee and Bee” — a native bee hotel — and a frog restoration area.
Mr Rattenbury said that since 2012 the Actsmart Business Energy and Water program had assisted over 780 local small businesses reduce their energy and water consumption, saving businesses an average of $2,500 on annual energy bills.
“Through the Actsmart Business Recycling program over 50,000 staff are now recycling in their workplaces and diverted the equivalent of 137,000 domestic recycling bins from landfill,” Mr Rattenbury said.
