The picture of a sustainable workplace

When Canon Australia made the decision to relocate from its 25-year-old headquarters to a brand new building in Sydney’s Macquarie Park, it was always known that sustainability would play a key role in the transition. The company’s sustainability manager, Janet Leslie, clearly had her work cut out for her.

Leslie stated that the company originally had two buildings - one for Canon and one for its research company CiSRA - neither of which ranked highly in terms of sustainability. She recalled, “The CiSRA one, I think, had a NABERS rating of two, and ours had none.”

When Canon conducted meetings with staff to find out what they wanted from the new building, Leslie says the topic of “living green” cropped up again and again. With this in mind, the company implemented a range of sustainability measures into the new building, among them water-efficient fixtures, energy-efficient computer screens and motion-activated lights.

Canon is also employing its own products throughout the building, such as its electronic filing system. Leslie noted, “All of our reports, all of our emails and everything just gets filed into the system, so you don’t need to print them out.” Even old paper-based documents can be scanned and sent into the system, and tagging ensures everything is easily retrievable.

Printing has also been reduced through the use of dual-screen set-ups at desks. Though this might seem counterintuitive in terms of sustainability, Leslie explained that the (optional) use of a second screen means employees can more easily consult several documents at once, rather than comparing a printout on their desk to a report on the screen, for example. Printing and other waste disposal is further discouraged by Canon having taken bins away from people’s desks.

“I was really expecting an outcry,” admitted Leslie of the latter measure, “but it’s been fine.” Overall, these solutions have seen a 43% reduction in storage space.

Meanwhile, in the company’s foyer one will find a wall made out of eWood - a long-lasting wood substitute made out of recycled ink and toner cartridges. Leslie explained that as part of the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark program, Canon customers can place their old cartridges in Planet Ark recycling bins, from which they are taken to Close the Loop in Melbourne and turned into the innovative substance. Not only does the material contain 95% recycled content, but it is also 100% recyclable.

“We used to send some of our cartridges back to China to get re-used, but to be honest, by the time you collect them and ship them and all the rest of it, it’s much better to recycle them here into other materials,” Leslie noted.

Sustainability is encouraged on the way to and from the workplace as well, as the new building is located close to public transport and contains its own cycling facilities. It is due to this and a deal with the Macquarie Park Transport Management Association, Leslie said, that fewer employees are driving to work.

Just a few months after settling into the new building, Canon has adjusted to the changes admirably - and there are more changes to come. “We’ve still got some other plans,” revealed Leslie, referring to the future implementation of an environment committee, a herb garden and composting facilities. The company’s eventual aim is to achieve a 5-Star Green Star rating for interior fit-out, a 4-Star Green Star rating for base building and a 5-Star NABERS rating.

Until then, Canon’s employees can enjoy a sustainable working environment which is tailored for their individual needs. Staff are provided with a choice of spaces depending on their style of work - such as assigned desks for focused workers and open areas for more collaborative workers - as well as a choice of devices. Every space and every employee has been accounted for, in line with the company’s philosophy that one size doesn’t fit all.

“I think it’s cheered everybody up,” Leslie said. “People are just happier to be here.”