Green shift

For as long as I can remember, the QNX corporate color has been blue — RGB 0,51,102, to be exact. Lately, however, things at QNX have been looking a bit greener.

No, Spring isn’t coming early to Ottawa. Rather, QNX has been working hard to shrink its environmental footprint.

We started with small things, like getting rid of coffee stir sticks and styrofoam cups. Next, we placed more recycling bins at strategic locations throughout QNX headquarters. Then, we replaced older fluorescent lighting with ballasts and bulbs that consume significantly less energy. We’ve even installed motion sensors in meeting rooms and washrooms so that lights turn themselves off when not in use.


QNX HQ: Now with less styrofoam.

We’re discovering that, over time, even small changes can reap big benefits. Case in point: Raising the office temperature slightly during summer and lowering it slightly during winter not only reduces energy consumption, but also cuts down on our electricity bills.

We’re also looking more closely at the goods we consume. For instance, we realized that the paper for our photocopiers and fax machines contained no recycled fibers. So we switched to paper that does.

Mind you, initiatives like this work only if everyone gets involved. So the folks in charge of our environmental efforts have been encouraging employee feedback and implementing it where feasible. As for myself, I took a cue from other QNX employees and started biking to work — though admittedly, I’ve had to stop temporarily as a result of record snowfalls in Ottawa. (Sometimes, even nature can get in the way of a green initiative!)

What about you? What measures have you or your company implemented to pollute less and recycle more? Are there any difficult challenges you had to surmount? Any techniques or ideas you’d like to share?