Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, there’s a bunch of Energy & Environment spring cleaning odd and ends to share, so riddle me this…

Riddle: What has around 300 heads and is green all-over?

Answer: UHN’s volunteer Green Team.

Riddle: What has around 301 heads and is green all-over?

Answer: UHN’s Green Team after you’ve joined.  No meetings, no homework, just you joining hundreds of your colleagues already helping green UHN.

Riddle: What has no heads and is dark all-over?

Answer: An empty room, after the lights, computer, monitor and other stuff were turned off before everyone left.  Become a TLC – Care to Conserve champion and help UHN see the dark.

 Riddle: What’s black and white and green and read all-over?

Answer: The 2011 Energy & Environment annual report, detailing environmental activities from last year, as well as hopes, dreams and aspirations for the year to come.

Riddle: The annual report is, like, so last year, what have you done for me lately?

Answer: Get the latest scoop on what’s what with the greening what in the oh-so-creatively titled UHN Greening Activities available on the Energy & Environment intranet page.

Riddle: What’s the next best thing to having Energy & Environment come to your department for a greening info session?

Wiseguy Answer: Not having Energy & Environment come to your department.

Real Answer: Sitting down to take the Energy & Environment eLearning module…log on to UHN’s eLearning site, search for course code “UHUHEN001W” and let the good times begin.

Riddle: What’s icky, yucky, goopy, potentially dangerous and expensive to throw out?

Answer: Biomedical waste – from needles, to blood waste, biomedical waste needs to be properly disposed for safety and legal reasons.  Biomedical waste is also much more expensive to dispose of than regular waste…it doesn’t matter how icky, yucky, goopy or potentially dangerous your lunch is, it doesn’t need to go in yellow or red biomedical waste bags.  Get the details on the Hazardous Waste Disposal @ UHN poster on the Energy & Environment intranet page.

Riddle: What’s sharp and sharp and sharp all-over?

Answer: Needles, especially if they’re accidentally left on patient meal trays or on samples sent to the lab for processing.  Please take extra care to ensure that sharps, including those used by self-medicating patients, are appropriately disposed.

Riddle: What was black and then grey and now clear all over?

Answer: UHN’s new garbage bags.  While garbage for landfill is currently collected in grey or black bags, we’ll soon be using clear bags for both garbage and recyclables, which will allow our cleaners to see what’s inside the bag.  Looking for a recycling bin?  Think blue, but please remember that at UHN (with the exception of Lyndhurst and Rumsey) paper cannot be mixed with metal, glass and plastic for recycling.  Get all the details on the Recycling @ UHN poster on the Energy & Environment intranet page.

Happy Spring,

-ed