Making a difference at Westfield Carindale.
During the year, a focus on waste management at Westfield Carindale was undertaken after the team recognised there was an opportunity to increase the commingled waste stream. Regional Manager for Infrastructure Management, Khadijah Bouabdullah said: “We knew we could likely make a meaningful difference simply by improving our tenant education program and increasing our supply of bins for ‘back of house’ use.”
To achieve the desired results, Westfield Carindale’s Facilities Assistant, Graeme Ryan trialled 60 litre or 90 litre bins (depending on footprint and space restriction) with two retail partners, and rolled out to a further 20.
The initiative has been well-received with June commingled recycling up by 18% year-on-year, July up by 7% and August up by 20%.
At the same time, there were ongoing issues with some of the centre’s organics bins continuously being contaminated. Since they were situated near an open carpark with easy public access, the issue was difficult to combat with no practical controls in place, and extra resources were often required to manage the bins effectively.
The addition of a new bar lock system that allowed for no lid movement saw an immediate reduction in bin contamination, greater efficiency in the centre’s waste management efforts and inspiration to other centres that have subsequently introduced the same system.
Khadijah says: “It might seem like a small innovation, but these are the adjustments that can make a real difference to our efficiency, and ultimately, a reduction in our centres’ environmental impact.”
Both initiatives have been recognised as best practice by our waste partner, Veolia.