Our committment to sustainability
Sacred Heart Mission is a major local recycler through our op shops and our Meals Program makes us a partner in Melbourne’s food rescue industry.
At Sacred Heart Mission, we see how the most vulnerable people in our community are threatened by the effects of climate disasters such as floods, heatwaves and bushfires. Without fast and inclusive climate action by the government and a commitment to cut climate pollution by organisations across all industries, these threats will continue to worsen.
Building on our vision of a safe, fair and inclusive community for all of us, Sacred Heart Mission has made a commitment to minimise its impact on the environment.
The Green Team continues to explore ways in which we can become even more sustainable and embed a culture of environmental sustainability within the organisation. Activities are aimed at energy, water and waste reduction, improving recycling and promoting sustainable forms of transport.
The many ways in which Sacred Heart Mission is “green”
- Our Meals Program works with food donations and food rescue groups to make use of good-quality food items that otherwise would be directed to landfill. The team also modifies their menu to make the best use of food items available and prevent waste.
- The used vegetable oil from the Meals Program deep fryer is converted into bio-fuel.
- Our op shops are a prolific recycling network, saving pre-loved items from being sent to landfill and encouraging our community to buy recycled goods. Across all our stores, we recycle 130 tonnes of textile waste per year.
- We are measuring the energy usage across our various sites and have set energy reduction targets.
- Our building maintenance schedules incorporate sustainability improvements, such as replacing light bulbs with LEDs.
- Changing to double-sided print settings has cut our paper usage by 50 per cent.
- A large percentage of office furniture used across our sites are recycled or donated items.
- We actively encourage staff and volunteers to cycle to work, and we participate in community events such as Ride to Work day.
- We installed a solar panel system at our Sacred Heart Community.
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