AVW-TELAV has got it in the bag!
In light of recent information and warnings on the dangers of plastic bags, and in the spirit of our Customer Service Week celebrations this year, AVW-TELAV gave each of our employees reusable cloth tote bags to use in their everyday lives, from the grocery store to the hardware store to the library.
Using a reusable bag is an easy and practical daily choice. Plastic bags are made from non-renewable petroleum and require the use of toxic resources during production and processing. It takes more than 1,000 years to biodegrade, which means that most of the plastic that has ever been manufactured is still around.
Each AVW-TELAV tote bag is blue, our corporate colour, and reads: “AVW-TELAV. Helping our customers go green!” We encourage our employees to use their tote bags daily to set an example for our neighbours and let the world know that we care about our planet!
Videoconferencing- A ‘green’ AV Solution
Recently, AVW-TELAV made the commitment to increase the amount of videoconferencing we do internally. There are two main reasons for this: The ‘green’ benefits and the financial benefits.
The cost-saving aspect is clear: reducing unnecessary travel reduces unnecessary expenses. In turn, the impact on the environment is significantly reduced. “It's this simple,” states TANDBERG, one of our suppliers that offers end-to-end visual solutions, on its website. “Staying off the roads and out of the skies means adding less CO2 to the atmosphere.”
Videoconferencing, essentially, is an effective way to conduct face-to-face quality meetings using interactive telecommunications technologies. This communications solution allows two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously.
The president of AVW-TELAV, Johanne Bélanger, and many of our company’s top executives, have made the commitment to use videoconferencing as a primary telecommuting option, whenever possible. “In fact, this year we utilized our videoconferencing systems to interview potential Montreal-based HR director candidates, from offices in Dallas and Toronto,” says Bélanger. “We were able to save hundreds of dollars in travel costs and significantly reduce our carbon footprint, without sacrificing the authenticity and natural perception of character one can only attain from a face-to-face meeting.”
Videoconferencing applications include:
- General meetings
- Formal Presentations
- Project Coordination
- Distance Education
- And virtually any meeting that can be enhanced by video and audio interaction
TANDBERG has on its website a Business Advantage Calculator that can help you understand how videoconferencing can work for you – and the environment: http://www.tandberg-business-advantage.com/
Green Committee greetings!
AVW-TELAV is committed to producing more environmentally-friendly events and participating in “green” practices in our day-to-day operations. Although as individuals, many of us are very aware of green initiatives and practice them on a regular basis, the Green Committee is set up to formalize that process on a company-wide basis to ensure we are all doing our part, day in and day out.
The Canadian Green Committee is a subset of the Freeman Central Green Committee which represents a cross-section of departmental functions and geographic regions; Canada is one of those geographic regions.
John Crick, Director of Southwestern Region and General Manager, Toronto branch, is chairperson of the Green Committee and works with 10 volunteer committee members who have expressed a keen interest in helping with this important initiative. They represent a variety of job positions and are spread out from coast to coast. Although the formal committee has been selected, it is through the input of ALL AVW-TELAV employees that the committee is successful in bringing forward and implementing green initiatives. The Committee works as a conduit through which ideas will flow.
This committee relies heavily on input from others in our company. The first job the committee undertook was to document green initiatives that were already under way in the various branches: the low hanging fruit—recycle boxes, turning off lights at night, setback thermostats—the obvious stuff that may not have necessarily been practiced in all our branches, but could be implemented, sooner than later, with minimum cost.
AVW-TELAV’s green efforts are implemented at two levels—through the corporate Central Green Committee in Dallas (Freeman) and the regional committees and “champions.” The Canadian Green Committee is considered a regional committee. In each region, a local “champion” heads up a committee of volunteers to coordinate green efforts. The 10 volunteers, mentioned above, are considered the local "champions" who rely on their colleagues to "volunteer" their time, thoughts and ideas.
