The RR&R Challenge has been run and won, culminating in the inaugural prize winning bonanza at Hard Rock Café on Tuesday 5 December. Over 100 people were on hand to enjoy the hospitality, soak up the festive atmosphere and find out who the winners and grinners of the
challenge were.

RR&R Champions

• The grand prize was awarded to the team with the most extensive and creative initiatives implemented to reduce, reuse AND recycle in the workplace:
  • WINNER: AFPN (Australian Financial Planning Network) aka The Enviro-Mentals!
  • PRIZE: a Sony digital video camera and audit of workplace printing procedures and devices donated by Upstream Technology.
  • What the judges said:
    The Enviro-Mentals! spread their RR&R vision across all business operations by targeting environmentally friendly suppliers for all products, utilising environmentally friendly products (from cleaning items to hygiene products), and they also communicated the sustainable message in each piece of correspondence they produced.
    

• The prize for the most extensive and creative ways to REDUCE material and resource usage in the workplace was awarded to:
  • WINNER: Cundalls aka Cundalls Conservers
  • PRIZE: a night of ten pin bowling for the whole team to the value of $500.
  • What the judges said:
    The Cundalls Conservers did a lot of work to reduce resource use. Initiatives included installing low pressure devices into water flow outlets, using natural light to reduce energy consumption, purchasing a coffee machine to reduce the amount of take away coffees (and polystyrene cups) as well as introducing electronic communications to minimise paper usage.
    
    
• The prize for the most extensive ways to REUSE materials and resources within the workplace was awarded to:
  • WINNER: Spowers aka The Really Rockin’ Recyclers
  • PRIZE: a $400 voucher for Hard Rock Café for dinner and drinks with their team.
  • What the judges said:
    The Really Rockin’ Recyclers were one of the most enthusiastic participants in the challenge. They submitted some fantastic initiatives to reuse the materials and resources within their office. In particular, they reuse all scrap and unwanted paper by creating notebooks and sketch pads, a cost effective and environmentally friendly way to use paper.
    
    
• The prize for the most extensive ways to RECYCLE materials and resources in the workplace was awarded to:
  • WINNER: Collins Towers
  • PRIZE: 2 cases of Tyrrells Wine
  • What the judges said:
    Collins Towers have displayed a very strong inclination for recycling boxes, files and paper, while always managing to ensure that only recyclable materials are placed in their recycling bins. This may not sound like much, but this is very important to ensure that recycling is not contaminated!
    
    
• The standard of ideas and initiatives to RECYCLE in the workplace was so high that the judges considered it appropriate to award prizes to a number of other strong performing teams:
  • Citipower & Powercor
  • The Travellers Aid Society of Victoria
  • Wertheimers Consultants
  • PRIZE: each of these teams won 1 case of Tyrrells Wine.
    
    
• A prize was also awarded for outstanding contribution and quantity of innovative & creative ideas to reduce, reuse and recycle resources in the workplace:
  • WINNER: Federation Square
  • PRIZE: The Fed Square team have won 10 tickets to the horse races on a day of their choice for their efforts!
  • What the judges said:
    The Fed Square team generated a huge number of ideas, not only about reducing, reusing and recycling in their office but some staff wanted to install a wind farm on the car park roof! They have certainly proved that environmental performance is at the forefront of their operations.
    
    
• The judging panel also thought it appropriate to award a prize to the team which displayed overwhelming enthusiasm and involved the highest number of staff in the RR&R challenge:
  • WINNER: Hard Rock Café aka The Hard Rockin’ Recyclers
  • PRIZE: The Hard Rockin’ Recyclers have won 10 tickets to a home game of the South Dragons basketball team- Donated by Visy Recycling
  • What the judges said:
    Not only have Hard Rock been a strong supporter of the RR&R challenge, they were also in the thick of the action. They engaged their entire staff and spread the sustainability word right across the board.

Thank you to all of the participants who took part in the RR&R Challenge and doing your bit to make the Melbourne CBD more environmentally friendly. We would also like to thank our sponsors and partners who helped make the RR&R challenge such a success. As this was the first competition of its kind, we will be conducting similar initiatives in the future to further raise the profile and importance of sustainability in the workplace.

As 2006 comes to a close, the team at Grow Me The Money would like to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a safe, happy New Year and hope 2007 is successful for you.