Sustainability

Updated 17 Feb 2020

Elections ACT aims to operate in an environmentally friendly manner as an accredited Actsmart office under the ACT Government’s Actsmart program. This program supports businesses in implementing efficient recycling programs resulting in lower environmental impact and reduced business costs. With a focus on waste minimisation and energy efficiency in its business practices, Elections ACT's has been reaccredited each year since first accredited in 2012. It has also won the Actsmart award for waste minimisation in 2015 and 2018.

Following the principles of, 'Reduce, re-use, recycle', Elections ACT has reduced its paper usage by using electronic filing to replace hard copy printing. Publications are made available electronically, reducing the need to print numerous copies unnecessarily. When paper is needed, 100% recycled content stock is used both in the office and for most publications. Stationery items are re-used where possible and recyclable consumables purchased if available. Recycling stations collect waste paper and paper products, comingled recyclables, toner, batteries and soft plastics while organic waste is composted. Containers are donated to a charity collection point for the container recycling scheme and plastic bottle lids kept for Lids4Kids to recycle into prosthetics.

Energy audits have resulted in improvements to energy efficiency over time by following practices such as turning off computers and appliances every night. All lights are movement activated an energy efficient refrigerator is in use. Sustainability education for staff has played an important role in helping establish good habits by increasing understanding of why and how.

An ACT Legislative Assembly election offers many opportunities for practising environmental sustainability. Where possible, materials are reused from election to election. When purchasing new material, environmental sustainability is one of the critieria applied in selecting products. For example, all the cardboard equipment to be used in polling places for ACT elections, such as voting screens, are manufactured from unbleached, recycled cardboard. The use of electronic format instead of paper has been a development focus for Elections ACT for a number of elections, starting with the introduction of electronic voting for the 2001 election.  With 1 in 3 electors casting an electronic vote at the 2016 election, the environmental benefits are considerable. Paper electoral rolls in polling places have been entirely replaced by an electronic system since the 2008 ACT election, saving significant amounts of paper. Postal vote applications have also moved away from a reliance on paper forms; allowing applications to be made online or over the phone. Following each election, the sustainability focus moves to auditing materials to determine if they can be stored for re-use, recycled or donated elsewhere.