Spring Cleaning: Learn how to practice sustainable outdoor maintenance
Last month, the Regional Sustainability Initiative hosted a Spring Cleaning event at Proof Kitchen + Lounge. Attendees at the event came to learn about how to practice sustainable outdoor maintenance for their commercial properties.
The first speaker was Bala Gnanam, the Vice President of Energy, Environment & Strategic Partnerships at BOMA (Building Owners & Managers Association) Toronto. BOMA Toronto promotes best practices within the real estate industry through the use of the BOMA BEST program, Canada’s largest environmental assessment and certification program for existing buildin ...
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Faces of SWR: Patrick Kelly
Patrick is a volunteer on the finance team at SWR. He sets direction for the organization’s financial processes and activities alongside management and board members. From the moment we first met Patrick we were inspired by his strong passion for sustainability and the amazing technical knowledge that he brings to our team. We admire and appreciate his great sense of humour.
Patrick has taken on the challenge of contributing key financial decisions, best practice setting, monthly reporting, budgeting, annual financial audits, and infusion of financial knowledge across the SWR staff team. We wo ...
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Reducing Waste: A Technical and Behavioural Approach
Last Tuesday (November 27, 2018), the Regional Sustainability Initiative hosted an event at Borealis Grille & Bar entitled “Reducing Waste: A Technical and Behavioural Approach.” The sold-out event was a great success, featuring two speakers with first-hand experience in implementing waste reduction strategies in their organizations.
Ben Dunbar, the Manager of Waste Operations at AET Group Inc., provided an overview of waste audits for industrial and commercial companies. Waste audits allow organizations to quantify and characterize the waste generation of their operations. Audits are usef ...
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Save on Energy: Energy Management in Organizations
On Tuesday, October 2nd, Save on Energy: Energy Management for Organizations was held at the Holiday Inn Kitchener-Waterloo Conference Centre. Featuring three knowledgeable guest speakers, this event gave professionals an opportunity to discuss the benefits of implementing energy management and energy efficiency projects in their own offices and workplaces.
Greg Rushby, the founding principal of Rushby Energy Solutions Inc., was the first speaker. Greg offered a great introduction to the morning by outlining what energy management means for organizations. Energy management is a continuous, pro ...
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Township of Wilmot Featured in Case Study
Having been a member of the Regional Sustainability Initiative since 2015, the Township of Wilmot has become the first township in Waterloo Region to set a public greenhouse gas reduction target. They are working towards reducing their emissions by 25% using 2012 as their baseline. Some of their projects are already showing successful savings in both cost and energy usage. Check out their case study to learn more
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Change Management and Sustainability
On June 13th, professionals gathered at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener for a Change Management and Sustainability event, where change management practice, tools, and how to apply them were discussed. Matthew Day, Manager of SWR’s Regional Sustainability Initiative, opened the event with a brief overview of Regional Sustainability Initiative’s end-of-year member survey. The top three goals across all members were: reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reducing energy use, and increasing employee engagement. The goal of employee engagement stuck out because many members expressed a desire for ...
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Event Recap – It’s All About the Numbers
On May 22nd 2018, Paul Rak (President and founder of Cambridge-based VeriForm Inc.) made the business case for implementing low-technology sustainability initiatives into everyday business operations. The event took place at Waterloo North Hydro and was attended by an assortment of professionals looking to learn how to optimize sustainability, efficiency, and cost-savings in their operations.
Rak began by giving an overview of the company, when they started their journey towards sustainability, and the results the company has achieved since. VeriForm is a metal fabricating company which specia ...
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Evening of Recognition 2018 Recap
Thursday, April 12 was a big day for Sustainable Waterloo Region and the many program participants and volunteers who help make everything we do such a success.
On April 12, we celebrated our 9th Evening of Recognition.
The Turret at Wilfrid Laurier University was standing room only as sustainability leaders gathered to celebrate their successes and achievements, swap stories, and share learnings.
That the event was held at Laurier was particularly meaningful; for 10 years, Wilfrid Laurier University has played a critical role in helping SWR and all Regional Sustainability Initiative members a ...
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Kelly McMath |
March 7, 2019
Patrick is a volunteer on the finance team at SWR. He sets direction for the organization’s financial processes and activities alongside management and board members. From the moment we first met Patrick we were inspired by his strong passion for sustainability and the amazing technical knowledge that he brings to our team. We admire and […]
Lisa Chapman |
December 12, 2018
Last Tuesday (November 27, 2018), the Regional Sustainability Initiative hosted an event at Borealis Grille & Bar entitled “Reducing Waste: A Technical and Behavioural Approach.” The sold-out event was a great success, featuring two speakers with first-hand experience in implementing waste reduction strategies in their organizations. Ben Dunbar, the Manager of Waste Operations at AET […]
Lisa Chapman |
November 13, 2018
On Tuesday, October 2nd, Save on Energy: Energy Management for Organizations was held at the Holiday Inn Kitchener-Waterloo Conference Centre. Featuring three knowledgeable guest speakers, this event gave professionals an opportunity to discuss the benefits of implementing energy management and energy efficiency projects in their own offices and workplaces. Greg Rushby, the founding principal of […]
Katie Wall |
July 11, 2018
Having been a member of the Regional Sustainability Initiative since 2015, the Township of Wilmot has become the first township in Waterloo Region to set a public greenhouse gas reduction target. They are working towards reducing their emissions by 25% using 2012 as their baseline. Some of their projects are already showing successful savings in […]
Katie Wall |
July 11, 2018
On June 13th, professionals gathered at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener for a Change Management and Sustainability event, where change management practice, tools, and how to apply them were discussed. Matthew Day, Manager of SWR’s Regional Sustainability Initiative, opened the event with a brief overview of Regional Sustainability Initiative’s end-of-year member survey. The top three […]
Katie Wall |
July 11, 2018
On May 22nd 2018, Paul Rak (President and founder of Cambridge-based VeriForm Inc.) made the business case for implementing low-technology sustainability initiatives into everyday business operations. The event took place at Waterloo North Hydro and was attended by an assortment of professionals looking to learn how to optimize sustainability, efficiency, and cost-savings in their operations. Rak […]
Katie Wall |
July 11, 2018
Thursday, April 12 was a big day for Sustainable Waterloo Region and the many program participants and volunteers who help make everything we do such a success. On April 12, we celebrated our 9th Evening of Recognition. The Turret at Wilfrid Laurier University was standing room only as sustainability leaders gathered to celebrate their successes and […]
Katie Wall |
July 11, 2018
Over the four years that I have been at Sustainable Waterloo Region, I have been repeatedly amazed and touched with the kinds of time and talent that are shared in this community to work together for the creation of a shared vision of the future. From students to community leadership, the volunteers at SWR are […]
Katie Wall |
July 11, 2018
I’ve been a member of the SWR team for a long time, starting as a volunteer back in 2008. The volunteer structure at SWR is very close to my heart. Over the years, I’ve seen the power of this model and what it’s done for the organization, helping us to reach higher and do more, […]
Katie Wall |
July 11, 2018
What many folks might not realize about sustainability-focused efforts is that not all organizations have the capacity to have a designated role for this. On many occasions, it is the voluntary work of one or handful of employees who are passionate about the environment. The effort to pull together a green team, engage the whole […]
