Gateway is committed to doing the right thing for our Members’ pockets and their planet. We drive our commitment through a range of initiatives that underpin this purpose. We have been certified as a carbon neutral organisation by Climate Active, and have published our Ethical Investment and Ethical Lending policies which state which sectors we will invest in and lend to, and importantly, which sectors we won’t support.
Our commitment to Pocket & Planet is also evident through a number of staff initiatives. We have an ongoing relationship with the creative reuse organisation, Reverse Garbage, which is based in Marrickville. We regularly coordinate volunteer days with Reverse Garbage, which are very well supported by our team. Aside from the benefit they provide to Reverse Garbage, these volunteer days help our team to appreciate the simple steps we can all take to promote re-use and minimise waste. Education teams from Reverse Garbage have also conducted in-house sustainability workshops which educate our team on the small changes they can make in their everyday lives.
In addition, we collect items to donate to Reverse Garbage, either to be sold or for them to use as part of their creative re-use education packs.
Our commitment to supporting volunteer initiatives is not limited to Reverse Garbage. We have supported education and volunteer sessions with a local community garden and we are always open to ideas for other initiatives. Overall, staff are able to take two volunteering days per year to assist charities or support other worthwhile causes.
Nothing brings out the creativity and talents of our team like our Christmas Re-use Competition! Each year a specific theme is announced, such as a tree or a costume, for each team to produce an entry using only re-use materials.
We continue to look at the ways that we can minimise waste in our office and we have a Green Team which meets to review and implement initiatives. Let’s face it, ideas come from everyone, so we are always happy to hear ideas and adopt new practices. We hope that these initiatives will sow the seeds of ideas that translate to better practices at home as well.
Take a moment to check out the Eco Initiatives on our Pocket & Planet page if you want ideas for how you can minimise waste in your home and benefit your pocket. Here is a small sample:
Our team initiatives extend beyond pocket and planet. Our goodwill lunches enable us to support worthwhile causes in the community, such as restaurants or cafes that provide a career stream for asylum seekers or that operate on a pay it forward basis. We arrange goodwill lunches and encourage staff from across the business to get to know their colleagues better, while we show our support for a worthwhile cause.
