Allens

• Introduction
• In the community
  • Pro Bono
  • Charity
  • Environment
    • small things=big difference
    • Changes to the workplace
    • Our people's initiatives
    • Leading our suppliers
    • Evaluation and achievements
    • Challenges
    • Our people
  • Reconciliation
• Our structure
• Art collection
• Sponsorship
• Seminars

Our people are passionate about protecting the environment. To be successful in reducing our footprint and being a sustainable organisation, we must involve Allens people in everything we do.

• Thought for Food
• Induction and recruitment initiatives
• Events

Thought for Food

'Thought for Food' brings together the firm's receptionists and catering staff to consider ways Allens can reduce wastage of food, and the labour and money involved in catering for the firm.

By raising awareness – ie advising staff not to automatically accept calendar invites for catered events – and providing alternatives, like whole instead of cut fruit, the firm achieved a reduction of approximately 20 per cent in ordering overall.

In addition, the firm provides more vegetarian food when catering. Now, at least 10 per cent of the meals we serve are vegetarian. Also, we aim to use local produce grown within 100 kilometres of where we serve it, reducing the emissions related to its transportation, as well as supporting local producers.

Induction and recruitment initiatives

Last year, the firm's environmental policies became part of the national induction program for new starters.

Also, Sydney summer clerks volunteered at Kelly's Bush to help clear noxious weeds. There are plans in place to include such environmental activities in our national induction program annually.

Photo: As part of their induction, Sydney summer clerks volunteer at Kelly's Bush to help clear noxious weeds.

Events

Educating staff

Some recent events:

• the Green Fair in Perth, which was initiated by the firm in conjunction with the Perth office's building management, QV1. The event is in its second year, and aims to encourage landlords to get on board with making environmentally sound changes to the office and to highlight what each of us can do from within the office to benefit the environment;
• a presentation by Chris Darwin, Charles Darwin's grandson, in Sydney;
• a CSIRO presentation in Brisbane; and
• a Fresh Green Clean and Beyond Zero Emissions presentation in Melbourne.

Photo: Convenor of the Footprint Secretariat Susan Pestana at the opening of the Green Fair in Perth.

Participation in Earth Hour and Ride/Walk to Work Day

The Allens Footprint Committee worked hard – through internal communications and competitions – to make sure that it was lights out in all our offices and in our staff members' homes.

While many of our people already ride or walk to work every day, the firm had a good response to the Australia-wide campaign to get more people riding and walking in the 2009 Ride/Walk to Work Day.

KeepCups

This year, staff were offered subsidised branded KeepCups. KeepCups are the first barista-standard reusable coffee cups.

Rewards for ideas

During Earth Hour, a footprint hero from each Australian office – that is, the person with the most innovative environmental tip – was offered a candle-lit dinner for six friends and family at our offices, where they could look out at their city as the lights went off.