Going greener has positive payoff
Accountancy co-operative education student Minaz Shaikh is someone who takes extra effort to care for the environment. She rides her bike, uses public transportation, takes her lunch from home and uses her own coffee mug rather than succumbing to the convenience of a corporate-sponsored foam or paper cup.
And since her work term at Équiterre, Shaikh is even more committed to being green.
Équiterre is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization. Its mission is to promote green policies within municipalities, governments and corporations. It also employs students from Concordia’s Institute for Co-operative Education for work terms that last between 12 and 16 weeks.
Shaikh began her work term in the accounting department of Équiterre in September 2012, and from the first day, she says, it was a wonderful experience. “It's just like you walk in and you have this vibe of positivity. It's such a nice atmosphere.
I think it's because everyone is passionate about changing the way that we see things, and people choose to be there. They are dedicated to making the planet a better and healthier place.”
Some of Shaikh’s daily work included managing accounts payable, client accounts and employee expense reports. As a second-year accountancy student who had already completed a work term elsewhere, Shaikh was well placed to be helpful, and eager to learn more about the accounting requirements of not-for-profit organizations. “Many times, there were tax questions that came up, and I had the answers as I had recently taken a course in tax. I am looking forward to seeing if my experience at Équiterre will give me insight into my upcoming class in accounting for not-for-profits.”
But it was what Shaikh experienced in her new work environment that really made a difference in her way of thinking about the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. “I think it's reducing that's really changed for me. I was already reusing and recycling. Now when I go into stores, I question my purchases. Do I really need that extra T-shirt? At the end of the day, reducing is even more important. Our landfills will be smaller; there will be less energy wasted and less water used.”
Sustainable Concordia, a student-driven initiative that has been active on campus for more than a decade, adds another “R” to the equation: rethink. And Shaikh has had some thoughts on how Concordia and its students might get just a little bit greener. “I like that JMSB (John Molson School of Business) co-op students are submitting their work term reports electronically instead of printing them out. I like that at Concordia in general, students receive a lot of free reusable coffee mugs, but I find that at the end of the day, they just leave their mugs at home. That really bothers me, and I think Concordia could help us by making it trendy to use coffee mugs on campus. And Concordia departments with kitchen areas could consider composting.”
Some of the changes that Shaikh has incorporated into her life have come at a cost. “If money was no object I would always buy organic and fair trade. It's a really important concept to me. But I think when you’re paying more for your fruits and vegetables now, it’s important to realize it’s beneficial in the long run.”
In fact, a greener way of living could be considered an investment in everyone’s future.
Read related Earth Day articles.
Related links:
• Institute for Co-operative Education
• Sustainable Concordia
• Équiterre