The Committee
Many innovative ideas have been brought forward since the creation of the committee in 2016, making the Institut a pioneer in key projects and a mentor for other facilities.
Distributing Water Bottles
On October 15, 2019, the Institut’s Executive Committee adopted a policy banning all single-use plastic bottles, which went into effect on November 18, 2019. Each employee received a reusable water bottle with the Institut’s logo, which they were invited to use in the workplace.
Pi-miel
Since the summer of 2017, the Institut has been making honey using two hives kept onsite. The project is supervised by Alvéole, a company that promotes urban beekeeping and agriculture. The summer of 2019 marked the third successful year of this endeavour, and we collected 62kg of honey— enough to fill 444 pots. The honey is used in part to replace the refined sugar in meals served to patients and employees.
Tree Planting
In 2016, the Institut initiated a tree-planting project as a landscaping endeavour and to add more green space on the grounds. Thanks to subsidies from Plan d’action Forêt Urbaine and the work of the Soverdi (Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain) team, some 1,000 trees have been planed every year since. This project has become a tradition at the Institut, with the goal of improving the quality of life of patients and residents as well as their daily environment.
Bamboo Cups
To mark Earth Day, the Institut held its first ever week for sustainable development from April 23 to 26, 2019. On April 29, the Institut initiated a significant environmental change by no longer purchasing and using disposable coffee cups on site, and instead distributed reusable bamboo cups bearing the Institut’s logo to all employees.
ICI on recycle +
In 2018, the Institut became the first healthcare and social services facility to earn the new ICI on recycle + certification, attesting to excellence in industries, commerce, and institutions when it comes to dealing with residual waste. The Institut’s commitment to environmental health is the result of numerous efforts made by employees every day, including sorting waste materials and more.
Used Batteries
To mark National Battery Day, celebrated on February 18th, the Institut installed containers for employees to safely dispose of their used batteries.
Recognition Award
In 2019, the EHSD committee’s La démarche de santé environnementale project was selected from among 55 submissions at the Gala de reconnaissance en environnement et développement durable.