Waste management
By managing waste responsibly we save valuable resources, reduce our impact on climate change, help occupiers to achieve environmental targets and can generate savings in service charges.
In 2005 Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield became the first UK shopping centre to develop an on-site Resource Recovery Centre. The Centre invested £35,000 in facilities to sort, separate and send materials for recycling, including paper, cardboard, plastics and metals. In 2006 it is estimated that the return on investment was over £100,000 due to the savings on transport and disposal costs, combined with the revenue from the segregated materials. This has enabled the Centre to pass savings on to retailers in the form of a reduction in service charges. In 2006 92% of waste entering the facility was recycled.
At Broadgate in the City of London we worked with occupiers to collect waste data and improve waste management. We increased the proportion of waste recycled from 40% in 2005 to 46% in 2006 through a more coordinated approach to waste management, combined with the installation of cardboard balers and glass crushing facilities for all occupiers. Our targets for 2007 include reducing waste per head by 5% and recycling over 50% of all waste. This will, in part, be done by encouraging occupiers to increase their use of recycling facilities and by encouraging greater paper recycling. We also aim to reduce the proportion of waste to landfill from 34% to 14%, working towards zero waste to landfill. This will be achieved in part by switching to incineration which can be used to generate power.
At Teesside Shopping Park in Stockton-on-Tees the management team started working with occupiers in 2006 to identify opportunities to improve waste management, assisted by environmental consultants Arup. 16 occupiers filled in a questionnaire and attended a meeting to discuss waste management arrangements and opportunities including waste streams, recycling schemes, waste contractors, policies and the creation of a waste forum. In 2007 the management team is reviewing the feasibility of setting up centralised waste recycling schemes, creating an occupier waste forum and organising a single waste contractor to collect waste from occupiers to reduce disposal costs.
2007 feedback from occupiers
“Environmental responsibility is one of our big things, and it's good that British Land also take it seriously. Of particular interest to us is cutting down on waste.”
“The recycling collections of plastic and cans help to cut down waste. We subscribe to all their initiatives and we have a member of staff responsible for environmental and similar issues who liaises with British Land people. We are keen to participate and find it mutually beneficial.”
BIg Tick Award
The Resource Recovery Centre at Meadowhall won a Business in the Community Big Tick for Waste Management in 2006.