Environmental community outreach

At BMO, we believe that environmental sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. We all have a role to play in making tomorrow better. Our commitment to environmental stewardship extends from enterprise-wide corporate policies down to grassroots initiatives. Our employees participate in a variety of internal and external programs, as well as partnerships with environmental organizations, aimed at reducing our environmental footprint.

At BMO, we believe that environmental sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. We all have a role to play in making tomorrow better. Our commitment to environmental stewardship extends from enterprise-wide corporate policies down to grassroots initiatives. Our employees participate in a variety of internal and external programs, as well as partnerships with environmental organizations, aimed at reducing our environmental footprint.

Earth Hour

BMO Financial Group participates in the annual Earth Hour campaign. Every year, major offices and select branches in the U.S. and Canada shut off their lights for one hour in this global call for action against climate change. We encourage employees to join us and participate at home by turning lights off and unplugging non-essential appliances and electronics.

Office Supply Exchange Program

The annual Office Supply Exchange enables employees to redistribute office supplies their department no longer uses and trade them with other floors or departments for office supplies that they need. The remaining items are donated to the local organizations in need of supplies. Over the past six years, the Office Supply Exchange Program has been conducted at several high-population buildings in the Midwest, and generated a cost avoidance and donation credit over $79,000. This program keeps supplies out of landfill while engaging employees in environmentally conscious behavior at work, and encouraging them to repurpose waste.

Environmental Ambassador Program

Employee volunteers from across BMO work to promote our environmental sustainability program initiatives and attend monthly Sustainability Committee meetings. Environmental Ambassadors act as champions in the field who help to implement environmental best practices in the workplace, raise environmental awareness, and support BMO’s Environmental Sustainability Office as it rolls out our environmental programs enterprise-wide.

Electronics Recycling

BMO provides opportunities for employees to recycle their old personal electronics by offering e-waste collection at multiple Admin/Ops locations throughout the US portfolio. This not only diverts thousands of pounds of e-waste from landfills, but also raises awareness about its environmental impact and the importance of responsible disposal.

Cell Phone Recycling Program

BMO’s cell phone recycling program enables employees to recycle their used personal cell phones, to keep hazardous waste out of the environment and reduce the use of resources. All donations are sent to the Toronto and Brookfield Zoos for recycling, with proceeds going to lowland gorilla conservation efforts.

Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling Program

In partnership with Office Depot. we keep office ink and toner cartridges out of landfills by offering a take-back recycling program. When a cartridge is depleted, staff can simply request a pickup. Our used ink and toner cartridges are either recycled or re-manufactured.

Earth Day & Earth Week

Over the years, BMO Harris employees have participated in a spectrum of Earth Day events including vendor demonstrations, product giveaways, trivia games, recycling education, volunteer days and more.

National Bike to Work Week

Bike to Work Day is an annual event held on various spring days across the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia that promotes bicycling as a healthy, sustainable and economical transportation option for commuting to work.

Centralized Recycling Stations

The existing standard single-stream recycling program has expanded at several buildings throughout the Midwest by offering more options for employees to drop off personal items if specialized recycling services are unavailable to them at home. The purpose of this initiative is to further enhance recycling opportunities at BMO and encourage employees to recycle items commonly found in their work and home environments, including alkaline batteries, home printer cartridges, residential light bulbs, personal electronics and personal cell phones.

Water Bottle Filling Stations

A standard has been established to have water bottle filling stations installed in new construction projects or when existing water fountains require replacement. These filling stations provide filtered water options to employees rather than purchasing disposable single-use water bottles.

Electric Car Charging Stations

Electric car charging stations are an amenity provided at select locations for use by BMO employees

Environmental policy

Read BMO’s official statement on our environmental policy.

Environmental targets and performance

Our operational activities are continually revised to achieve improved environmental performance.

Environmental policy and approach

BMO’s environmental sustainability strategy, known as ECO5, guides how we reduce the environmental impact of our business operations.