What are they?
Provision of collection and storage facilities for recycling waste produced by the building occupants. Requires recycling bins, on-site storage facilities and provisions for the waste contractor to collect and process waste.
Advantages / Disadvantages
Strong sustainability and CSR message.
Low cost to implement.
Resource efficiency
Increased recycling will reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, thereby conserving resources. The effectiveness of a recycling strategy will be maximised when there is a recycling policy in place which is disseminated to occupants so they fully utilise the facilities.
Running costs
There is, potentially, a financial saving because less commercial waste is being sent to landfill and segregated waste bins are typically cheaper to dispose of than mixed waste bins.The case that the existing waste management contract requires amendment to realise this saving.
Retrofit / improvement opportunities
Straightforward to retrofit into any building.
Applicable buildings
All building types providing there is sufficient space to store several recycling bins in a central location. Green Star recommends, for example, an area of 10m2 for a 5,000m2 office building or 20m2 if there is catering waste being generated.
Floor plate implications
A small area of space will be required to accommodate the bins at each floor level or in the tenant’s demise.
Occupant comfort
No issues. Some occupant training is generally required to reduce the contamination of recycling streams
Maintenance implications
Additional cleaning will be required for the bins stored centrally and on each floor or space.
Identification
Separate bins will be provided throughout the building for different waste materials to be used by the tenants and other building users. This will typically include paper, plastic bottles, cans, etc. It will also include organic waste if there is food preparation taking place and other specific waste bins depending on the use of the building. For example, retail buildings will have bins for packaging waste.
Individual bins are taken to a central refuse point for collection by the recycling waste contractor with bins clearly marked to identify specific waste streams.
Questions to ask
- Which waste streams are segregated?
- Who is responsible for collecting waste from the tenants and storing it in the central recycling storage area?
More information
References needed
