Identifying waste minimisation opportunities
Introducing the waste management hierarchy
Avoiding waste
Reducing waste
Reuse
Waste treatment
Waste disposal
Introducing the waste management hierarchy
The waste management hierarchy is an ordered sequence of initiatives that can be used to identify steps to reduce waste within a shopping centre. Its 7 levels move from preferred at the top to least referred at the bottom. Avoiding waste is the most desirable option in the hierarchy with the disposal of waste being the least-preferred option. See the diagram at http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/waste_hierarchy.php.
The 7 levels are:
AVOID: not producing/purchasing materials which will become waste
REDUCE: producing/purchasing less materials which will become waste
REUSE: using materials more than once before recycling or disposing of them
RECYCLE: remanufacturing used materials into new products/resources
RECOVER: capturing otherwise wasted resources (e.g. recovering and using heat from electricity generation processes
TREATMENT: treating materials to minimise harmful effects on land, water or air
DISPOSAL: releasing materials/pollutants to land, water or air
Avoiding waste (most preferred)
Complete removal of components or packaging from production; changes to production processes
Potential waste areas
Product design
- Where possible, encourage change in product design to reduce materials consumption
Packaging/materials
- Avoid the need for plastic shrink wrapping
- Encourage suppliers to provide crates instead of pallets
- Negotiate with suppliers to remove unnecessary packaging from products
- Encourage retailers to use products made of recyclable material and packaged in recycled material
Garden design
- Create mulched gardens instead of lawns around centres
- Use native plants to reduce water use
Ways to avoid waste
Offer alternatives
- Encourage the use of reusable and refillable products
Educate/raise awareness
In partnership with recognised environmental organisations organisations such as KESAB:
- arrange community awareness promotions on waste streams and public action
- introduce displays of available reusable and recycled products for retailers and shoppers
Reducing waste
Changes to a product or process to reduce the waste it produces or generates
Potential waste areas
Product design
- Encourage manufacturers to change product design in order to use fewer materials
Packaging/materials
- Encourage suppliers and retailers to use only as much wrapping or packaging material as required
- Discourage the use of polystyrene boxes and filling
- Reuse cardboard boxes before purchasing new ones
- Encourage the use of reusable plates and cutlery in food courts
- Use signs as a reminder to reduce waste and recycle
Potential savings
Energy savings
- When purchasing new equipment, select the most energy efficient item
- Adjust timing switches to suit seasonal needs
- Evaluate public lighting areas
- Use energy efficient lighting
Water savings
- Check for dripping taps and faulty cisterns
- Encourage the use of environmentally preferred and/or biodegradable cleaning agents
Materials savings
In the office introduce procedures that limit waste:
- encourage the use of recycled paper
- organise collection of office paper for recycling
- print documents on both sides of paper
- reuse the blank side of used paper for notes or in-office memos
- recycle used print/copy cartridges
- reduce paper use by using email
- limit printouts to necessary items only.
In the shopping centre
Reuse
Features enabling a product to be reused many times, such as more durable refill packs and reusable containers
Reuse initiatives
Packaging/materials
- Encourage suppliers to provide rigid plastic crates as alternative to disposable cardboard boxes
- Identify and encourage suppliers/retailers to reuse cardboard boxes or other ‘waste’ products
Organic materials
- Ensure trimmed branches from the centre’s gardens are mulched and reused as surface mulch or compost
- Encourage, where possible and practicable, systems to remove organic materials from waste stream (in-vessel organic systems dramatically reduce the amount of putrescible waste to landfill)
CASE STUDY
Centro Colonnades is the first shopping centre in Australia to introduce a Peat’s Soil BiobiN organic system. Discarded fruit, vegetable and other organic materials are stored onsite as an alternative to disposal to landfill. Since the system was
introduced in 2000, over 400 tonnes of green organics has been composted and recycled to produce a rich mulch product.
Offer alternatives
- Encourage suppliers and retailers to look at alternatives such as refills in original containers
- Introduce alternative and reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags
Develop partnerships
- Develop a partnership with the water authority to promote water reuse schemes
- Look to local schools, kindergartens and/or environmental groups to reuse materials no longer required by retailers, such as:
- polystyrene boxes to greening or tree planting groups for plant propagation or kindergartens
- packaging and/or paper to a local kindergarten for art classes
- film canisters to cosmetics firms for samples
The green checklist has more hints for retailers.
Recycling
Processes for reforming materials used into new articles; opportunities for
cash return
A successful recycling program needs suitable markets for the recycled material. The support of a professional waste management organisation should facilitate market development and other opportunities.
Equipment
Recycling equipment in a shopping centre can vary with the needs, size of centres and available markets for recycling. Clearly identify all recycling equipment with consistent and effective signs to encourage use and to eliminate contamination.
Bin types
Normal council-style ‘wheelie’ bins of 120 or 240 cubic litre capacity can be used for general rubbish or for recycling purposes at designated areas. They can be transported to one or more separation sites for:
- compacting for landfill waste
- recycling of paper/cardboard, bottles, cans or PET plastic
- composting.
Wheeled ‘skip’ type refuse storage receptacles of 1.5 or 2 cubic metre capacity with close-fitting lids are the preferred receptacles for general waste. Some centres may also wish to use them for recycling large amounts of paper and cardboard. If so, paint individual bins in different colours and feature signs to differentiate them.
Various other receptacles can be sourced that comply with particular recycling systems:
- paper recycling boxes for each retailer supplied by a recognised organisation, for example Amcor, SITA and Visy
- well designed and simple mall furniture to enable shoppers to deposit rubbish separately from bottles, cans and PET plastics
- any other recognised receptacle that provides an easy, effective and safe complement to recycling systems within a retail environment.
Recycling initiatives
In the office
Introduce an efficient paper and cardboard recycling system for retailers and within centre management offices
- Ensure printer and copier toner cartridges are refilled or recycled
In the shopping centre
Introduce recycling collection sites for shoppers to deposit:
- PET plastic, bottles and aluminium or steel cans used printer and toner cartridges
- corks
- batteries
In retail shops
- Introduce an effective paper and cardboard recycling system
- Encourage recycling of oil and batteries from motor vehicle maintenance services
- Arrange the recycling of grease, fats and frying oils
CASE STUDY
Centro Colonnades’ system for bottles, cans and PET items has been in operation within the centre’s shopping malls with funds raised directed towards local schools and environmental groups in programs that assist the environment. Over 40 000 items have been recycled and diverted from landfill over 6 years.
CASE STUDY
An average 2 to 3 tonnes is recycled from Centro Colonnades each week. Since
1995, the centre has recycled over 1300 tonnes of paper and cardboard. This system has effectively reduced the centre’s waste to landfill by two-thirds.
In construction and garden operations
- Ensure any building rubble associated with, for example, renovations is removed and encourage contractors to recycle it
- Ensure gardening staff at the shopping centre recycle green waste
Develop partnerships, educate/raise awareness
- Check with local council on the materials that can be recycled and if the council can assist with the recycling process
- Continue to inform and educate retailers and shoppers on the recycling system
- Encourage their continuing support to minimise and eliminate contamination
Form 5 lists educational materials.
CASE STUDY
An innovative fluro tube recycling program is in place within Centro Colonnades as a partnership approach to reducing the potential threat of heavy metals polluting landfill sites. Partners include the City of Onkaparinga, Christies Beach High School, Onkaparinga TAFE College and Noarlunga Health Services. See the Waste Services Directory for details of companies which recycle fluro tubes.
Waste treatment
Processes that reduce the toxicity of waste or reduce volume before disposal
Waste treatment initiatives
- Arrange for the separation of materials collected from public recycling
- areas within the malls before transporting to recycling organisation
- Ensure trimmed branches from centre’s gardens are mulched and reused
- Establish facilities and/or collection of hazardous wastes, including dry
cleaning chemicals
Waste disposal (least preferred)
Last resort and least-preferred option includes methods such as disposal
of waste to landfill and other such displacement sites
After all avenues for waste minimisation have been exhausted, some waste must go to landfill. The centre’s waste minimisation and management program will dramatically reduce the current 90% or more of all solid waste generated in Australia that is disposed of in landfill sites.
As community resistance to new landfill sites near residential areas is increasing, the scope for expanding capacity to meet continuing demand at the current rate is restricted and disposal costs will continue to rise. An effective waste minimisation and management program at your shopping centre will reduce its waste management budget and decrease the environmental, social and economic impacts of its waste disposal. Develop a waste services directory for your shopping centre that lists all services relevant to the needs of your waste management and minimisation program.
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