NOW: MAKING A DIFFERENCE

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By using Ancient Forest Friendly 100-per-cent recycled paper, each year NOW conserves the equivalent of • 28,035 living trees

• enough energy to heat 246 homes

NOW reduces production of waste equivalent to

• greenhouse gases made by 534 cars

• wastewater filling seven swimming pools

• solid waste filling 79 garbage trucks (Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator.)

NOW could think of no better way to celebrate its 25th anniversary than to have a big green birthday. In addition to our Ancient Forest Friendly Paper Policy, we’ve been working on a number of exciting green initiatives. And we are committed to doing everything we can to continue to reduce our environmental footprint.

NOW’s new Green Roof

Completed in May, NOW’s new green roof was a year in the making. It is a pre-grown ELT Easy Green (www.eltgreenroofs.com) modular green roof system, planted with a mixture of sedum species.

In addition to adding significantly to the building’s energy efficiency, the green roof reduces stormwater runoff, which causes flooding and sewage overflows that result in dangerous water pollution.

The innovative design of the green roof panel used by ELT, an interlocking green roof tile, maximizes water retention and plays an important role in reducing runoff.

Reduction of runoff is a main reason for the city’s green roof pilot program. NOW is one of 17 new green roof installations that have met the performance criteria and eligibility requirements of the pilot program.

The NOW Building

NOW received an Arido Award in the category of Commitment To The Environment for the use of recycled printing plates as a design element in the foyer.

For lighting, NOW uses low-wattage energy-saver light bulbs wherever possible, and continues to explore new products to achieve energy savings in this area. It is our practice is to turn off lights in common rooms when they are not in use. To further reduce energy consumption, our thermostats are programmed differently on evenings and weekends versus workdays, and we moderate our use of lighting and air conditioning during peak summer demand.

There is a thorough building-wide recycling program. Our cleaning supplies are all environmentally friendly, with no toxic ingredients.

NOW has low-flush toilets in all the washrooms. All toilet paper is made from recycled paper. So are hand towels, which are made from (unbleached) kraft paper. All bond paper used in the office is made from recycled paper, and programs are in place to encourage lower usage.

For drinking water, charcoal filters are used and regularly serviced in staff kitchen sinks to avoid the use of bottled water. NOW also provides fair trade organic coffee and organic milk in staff kitchens.

The NOW Lounge

The Lounge uses fair trade coffee and recyclable takeout cups. It serves an array of organic products, including organic beer from the Mill St. Brewery.

Cycling

To encourage cycling, NOW provides 15 indoor bike racks and successfully lobbied City Hall to get eight racks on the sidewalk in front of the building.

Green Enterprise Toronto

NOW is a proud charter member and founding sponsor of Green Enterprise Toronto. GET is a new network of locally owned enterprises in the Toronto region that is growing the new, green economy for people, planet and profits. It is the local chapter of the international Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.

www.greenenterprise.net

Markets Initiative

is a national environmental organization. Its mission is to protect the world’s ancient and endangered forests and biodiversity by shifting corporate demand — and use — to ecologically sustainable paper products and reducing overall consumption. Because of Markets Initiative’s efforts, more than 170 Canadian publishers are switching their publications to Ancient Forest Friendly or eco-friendly papers. For more information, go to: www.marketsinitiative.org.

Ancient Forest Friendly PaperA

The Ancient Forest Friendly logo represents the highest ecological qualities in the paper industry. In order to be Ancient Forest Friendly, a paper must be manufactured with a high percentage of recycled fibre or agricultural residue. Any virgin fibre used in the paper must be both Forest Stewardship Council certified and assessed not to originate from endangered forests. Bleaching must be chlorine-free. Ancient Forest Friendly papers conserve intact forest ecosystems and their functions — such as climate stabilization, water regulation and species. www.ancientforestfriendly.com