Sustainability

Ithaca campus (Red Hill)

Brisbane North Institute of TAFE will be recognised as an environmentally aware organisation, committed to reducing its carbon footprint by accepting our personal and collective impact on the environment and by realising our future potential to grow communities.

Sustainability at BNIT

BNIT has identified, as a core value, the need to take responsibility for integrating sustainability principles and practices into the business and community of the Institute.  A critical objective of the Institute is accepting our personal and collective impact on the environment and our future potential to grow communities through sustainable practices. BNIT will focus on economic, environmental and social impacts of sustainable practice in the institute.

Successful initiatives to date

• Awarded Queensland Government EcoBiz Partner status 
• Active Sustainability Steering Committee and related governance, reporting to the Institute Executive and Council 
• Installation of waterless urinals and dual flush toilets 
• Rainwater tanks
• Energy efficient light bulbs
• Computer switch off strategy
• Fleet management reductions and improvements
• Double sided printing default on all printers
• Improved chemical control and reduction in usage of air-conditioning units
• Stockpiling green waste for mulching
• Reuse and recycling initiatives in place, including all office paper
• Utilising recycled stock for promotional materials

Future sustainability initiatives

• Carbon footprint and other sustainability benchmarking to chart performance
• Avoid, Reduce, Switch Emissions Strategy incorporating electricity, gas, transport and consumable consumption reduction
• BNIT Staff 'Flick the Switch' campaign to reduce electricity consumption and Green Office strategy
• Further development of procurement strategy favouring sustainable product purchases
• Green alternatives for IT equipment disposal
• Install waste recycle bins on all campuses
• BNIT community sustainability education program
• Bio-diversity initiatives on all campus grounds

Sustainability is defined as 'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs', or simply as 'enough for all forever'.

We all have an impact on the environment, economy and the people of Queensland. Through systems thinking and behaviour change, our environment can be sustained for all communities in the years to come.

BNIT will make environmentally responsible decisions when considering our actions, with a view to leaving a positive legacy for future generations in years to come.

The principles of sustainability have been embedded into the core fabric of Brisbane North Institute of TAFE through the adherence to the overarching Sustainability Policy - IP73 (PDF, 75KB).