Corporate Profile: MLC Sustainability Development

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Corporate Profile: MLC's Sustainability Development Approach


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*As a core value of Manitoba Lotteries, sustainable development impacts every business aspect. This includes diverting organic food wastes from casino restaurants to a composting facility.* Recently, Manitoba Lotteries adopted the sustainable principles and guidelines laid out in the Province of Manitoba’s Sustainable Development Act. SD is a component of Manitoba Lotteries’ commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). SD offers not only environmental benefits, but also potential operational efficiencies and financial savings as well as positive impacts on employees. Broadly speaking, Manitoba Lotteries seeks to meet its SD goals through a focus on the following areas:

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Since the early 2000’s, Manitoba Lotteries has significantly reduced its building energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by implementing a number of energy use efficiency programs including lighting retrofits, HVAC optimization, utility demand load management and equipment maintenance programs. These activities have provided a significant annual energy cost savings. In addition, Manitoba Lotteries has performed comprehensive reviews for its two casinos, McPhillips Station Casino and Club Regent Casino to identify additional ways to further reduce energy consumption and emissions. Strategies undertaken since 2004 resulted in an approximate 40% reduction in energy consumption.

Manitoba Lotteries measures its carbon footprint on an annual basis. Since 2005, the corporation offset their carbon emissions from facility operations through annual tree planting programs offered through Tree Canada and the Manitoba Forestry Association. Tree seedlings were planted annually in an afforested area where they will grow to maturity. As a result, Manitoba Lotteries is the first Canadian gaming company to be awarded Carbon Neutral Organization status by Tree Canada. Manitoba Lotteries calculates its annual greenhouse gas inventory using The Climate Registry, General Reporting Protocol.

Reducing solid waste production

Manitoba Lotteries has initiated a number of waste minimization and recycling programs. Currently Manitoba Lotteries recycles electronics, light bulbs, cardboard, paper, mixed plastic, aluminum, batteries and metal. As well, Manitoba Lotteries collects and diverts the organic food wastes associated with casino restaurants to a local commercial composting facility. In fiscal 2010, Manitoba Lotteries diverted approximately 110 tonnes of food waste (kitchen prep and plate wastes) to a composting facility.

In fiscal 2010, Manitoba Lotteries also diverted almost 40 tonnes of electronics to a recycling facility. The facility recovers 99% of the material for reuse, including aluminum, copper, mercury, plastic, lead, stainless steel and mixed metals. Some materials are re-purposed rather than recycled, and donated or auctioned where feasible.

Reducing water consumption

Following a comprehensive review for its two casinos, all washroom fixtures were replaced with new high efficient models. Quarterly monitoring of casino water consumption shows that this program has resulted in a 40% reduction in water use. The estimated reduction in water/sewer resulted in significant cost savings.

Enhancing green product selection

Manitoba Lotteries researches the environmental and social issues associated with the numerous goods and services they buy and sustainable specifications are included in all tender documents. A Sustainable Procurement Handbook has been created to support their purchasing requirements.

Enhancing fleet vehicle management

Manitoba Lotteries operates 10 hybrid vehicles in its fleet of approximately 65 vehicles. They continually explore the use of alternative vehicles and alternative fuels, and select cost-effective vehicles that meet their needs and help the environment.

Manitoba Lotteries participates in a Winnipeg Transit program that encourages bus ridership to employees, via discounted bus passes. The organization also supports Earth Week and participates in the Commuter Challenge to foster alternative transportation use by employees.

Supporting procurement of goods and services from local and Aboriginal businesses

Manitoba Lotteries is making local and Aboriginal businesses aware of bid opportunities and providing interested stakeholders information on their procurement processes to help support the community and drive the local economy.

Providing education to employees and awareness outreach

Manitoba Lotteries also provides extensive information to its employees of the importance of sustainable practices. Sustainable working groups made up of employees across a number of different departments. The corporation also provides support to external sustainable initiatives such as writing green procurement articles for the Manitoba Institute of Purchasing Management Association of Canada quarterly newsletter (The Pulse) and working with the Provincial Procurement Services Branch to develop a web based green procurement information website for use by all Manitoba government purchasers.

Provincial Green Building Policy

Manitoba Lotteries supports Green Building and LEED education to key staff within the corporation to ensure requirements set out in the Green Building Policy can be supported.

Manitoba Lotteries has achieved BOMA BEST Certification (Building Owners and Managers Association of Manitoba – Building Environmental Standards) for Club Regent Casino and McPhillips Station Casino.

Overall, Manitoba Lotteries takes a strategic approach to sustainable development, embedding SD concepts into how they approach all aspects of their business. This is most effectively and efficiently carried out by incorporating sustainable requirements into existing financial processes, thereby ensuring that SD is not a “silo” process by leveraging the strength of existing process mechanisms. For those interested in learning more, Manitoba Lotteries has several CSR reports publicly available to inform stakeholders of progress in these and other SD initiatives.