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Waste Reduction in Office BuildingsA Guide for Building Managers

© Resource NSW 2002

These Guidelines may be reproduced in whole or in part for improving waste management systems andpractices, study or training purposes or to provide wider dissemination for public information, subject toinclusion of acknowledgement of the source and provided no commercial usage or sale of the materialoccurs. Reproduction for purposes other than those given above requires written permission fromResource NSW.

Resource NSW appreciates the contributions made to the development of these Guidelines by manyinterested individuals in industry and government. In particular, Resource NSW wishes to thank thefollowing organisations for their constructive input:

Amcor RecyclingBerkeley Challenge Pty LtdBovis Lend Lease Building Services Contractors Association of Australia Colliers International City of SydneyGHD Pty LtdIllawarra Regional Information Service LtdJones Lang LaSalleMetro Graphics Group Pty LtdNSW Department of Public Works and ServicesPaper Recycling Action Group of Australia Property Council of AustraliaVisy RecyclingWaste Audit and Consultancy Services Pty Ltd

Disclaimer:

These Guidelines have been prepared in good faith. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure thatthe information provided is correct, Resource NSW does not endorse any of the goods or servicesdiscussed in the Guidelines. It is your responsibility to ensure that any waste reduction system andequipment used in your building is suitable and appropriate.

ISBN 1 876484 21 7

Resource NSW

Level 2, 1 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW 2150

PO Box 644, Parramatta NSW 2124

Phone: (02) 8837 6000Fax: (02) 8837 6099E-mail: [email protected]: www.resource.nsw.gov.au/officebuildings

R e s o u r c e N S W - W a s t e R e d u c t i o n i n O f f i c e B u i l d i n g s - A G u i d e f o r B u i l d i n g M a n a g e r s

Table of Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………2

Why reduce waste?…………………………………………………………………………………………………2

Why you want to reduce your waste?. ……………………………………………………………………………2

What do I have to do? ……………………………………………………………………………………………3

Where to start? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

The right system ………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

Common problems …………………………………………………………………………………………………6

Some potential solutions ……………………………………………………………………………………………7

System 1: Centralised paper recycling ……………………………………………………………………………8

System 2: Each desk has a small paper bin and a small garbage bin …………………………………………9

System 3: Centralised garbage bin and paper recycling bin at each desk …………………………………10

Working with the cleaners and waste collection contractors …………………………………………11

Working with the tenants…………………………………………………………………………………………15

Cost savings……………………………………………………………………………………………………………19

Direct savings ……………………………………………………………………………………………………19

Indirect returns ……………………………………………………………………………………………………22

Checklist…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………23

Appendix A: Where to go for help ……………………………………………………………………………24

Appendix B: Waste and recycling equipment………………………………………………………………25

Appendix C: The hard sell: Making a case to building owners ………………………………………27

Appendix D: Example newsletter ………………………………………………………………………………28

This booklet is designed to be a simple and straightforward guideto what building managers of office buildings can do to reducewaste in their building. Its focus is on implementing a successfulpaper recycling system, the greatest component of the wastestream. Topics covered include: working with cleaners, workingwith tenants, different systems and costs.

Reducing the waste from an office building should not be difficultor time consuming. This booklet aims to make implementing awaste reduction program quick and easy – and cost effective!

ntroduction

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Why reduce waste? Recycling is not new. Most homes in NSWnow have a recycling bin. By simply puttingpaper, cardboard and drink containers intheir recycling bin, NSW residents savehundreds of thousands of tonnes each yearfrom going to landfill.

Governments and the community arelooking to the commercial sector to matchthe performance of the communityrecycling schemes. The State Governmenthas legislated that waste should be treatedaccording to a “waste hierarchy”: first – reduce, second – recycle, third – dispose. Over the next few years,you will be faced with increasing pressureto implement a wide range ofenvironmental measures in your building,including a waste reduction program.

Increasing tenant awareness ofenvironmental issues, and the potential forcost savings, will lead to more tenantsrequesting recycling and otherenvironmental initiatives in their buildings.

Why you want toreduce your wasteReducing the amount of garbage that yourbuilding is sending to landfill can havedirect benefits to your work and yourbottom line, because:

It will save waste costs

Recycling is cheaper than garbage disposal;

Reducing waste management costs is also away of impressing upon your seniormanagement the unique initiatives youhave considered in better managing day-to-day building operations;

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It can help streamline building operations

Most of the waste from an office building ispaper. Separating out the paper leaves youwith a much smaller amount of putresciblewaste to be handled;

It can help meet corporate environmental commitments

Many companies now have environmentalpolicies, or have made a public commitmentto reducing their impact on the environment.Either your tenants or your own companymay report on their environmentalperformance in their annual report.Reducing waste is an immediate, tangibleand measurable way of improvingenvironmental performance; and

People in NSW believe in recycling

If you can recycle at home, why can’t yourecycle at work?

What do I have to do?The greatest barrier for many buildingmanagers is finding the time to implement awaste reduction program. A few simplemeasures, however, can make a bigdifference. There is a checklist at the back ofthe Guide that should make this easier andthroughout the Guide are tips and hints tohelp the process succeed. There are alsosome sample letters, memos and posters you can use.

Remember, there are significant potentialeconomic and environmental benefits

associated with implementingsimple recycling systems.


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Before making any changes to the waste management system in the building, it is well worth spending an houror two reviewing what waste is being generated and howit is dealt with.

here to start?

The best place to start is to look in thegarbage and recycling bins. From a quickwalk around the building and into thewaste room, it will be immediately obviouswhat is the major component in the waste stream and whether anyrecycling systems you currently have inplace are working. In some cases, thisexercise alone will reveal a number ofsimple measures that would immediatelyimprove your waste management system.

Another important exercise when starting awaste reduction program is to look at thewaste and recycling invoices for the last 6to 12 months. This will tell you exactly howmuch waste is being generated, whetherwaste generation is seasonal, what thewaste removal costs are and whether thereare any savings to be made. Thisinformation is important for convincingboth tenants and building

owners to support implementing a wastereduction program.

There have been a number of government-funded studies into what is in the garbageof an office building. Recently, ResourceNSW sorted through the waste of fiveoffice towers and found:

Most of the waste stream wasrecyclable paper;

Most of the paper was printed onlyon one side;

In buildings with a paper recyclingsystem, half of the recyclable paperwas still ending up in the garbage;and

A surprising amount of new or barelyused stationery items were thrown out.

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Composition of “typical” office tower waste

In waste studies conducted by Resource NSW, all the buildingsalready had a paper recycling system in place. However, in allthe buildings less than half the paper was finding its way intothe recycling system. Even buildings that have a paper recyclingsystem in place can reduce waste further through improved useof the system. Other easy ways of reducing waste includerecycling cardboard (ask your paper recycler if they will acceptcardboard in with the paper) and recycling drinks containers. Yourrecycling contractor may collect other recyclable items fromyour building in separate wheelie bins or mixed with the paperand cardboard.

he right system

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There are a number of ways to implementa recycling system in an office tower. The trick is to mix and match availableequipment to suit you, your tenants, the cleaning staff and the recyclingcollectors. It is a good idea to talk to each of these parties before putting in a paper recycling system.

Common problemsMany office buildings already haverecycling systems in place. However, thestudies conducted on waste in officebuildings revealed that recycling rates arestill quite low, and that there can be a lot ofcontamination in the recycling system.Building managers can becomedisheartened if they put a lot of effort intoputting in a recycling system and it fails.Some of the common problemsencountered with recycling systems are:

Cleaners putting separated recyclinginto the garbage bins. Introduction ofa paper recycling system can mean alot of extra work for the cleaners. Thepriority for cleaners is to empty binsas quickly as possible. Minimising theamount of extra time/effort requiredby the cleaners will maximise thechance of gaining their co-operation.In some cases, there is merely theperception of there being extra work.Being clear about what exactly isrequired may alleviate some of theirconcerns;

Office staff putting non-recyclablematerial in the recycling. Somepeople will put whatever is in theirhand in the first/easiest bin. Havingnon-recyclable material in therecycling is a real problem because if

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there is too much contamination thewhole lot will have to be thrown outand the building will be charged apenalty; and

Office staff putting recyclablematerial (for example paper) in thegarbage. If it is easier to put paper inthe garbage bin than to put it in therecycling bin, then the temptation willbe to do just that. This means that notas much material is being recycled asthere could be.

Some potential solutionsThe keys to a successful recycling programare clear communication and predictinghow people behave. This section presents afew examples of systems in place atdifferent office buildings, and the positivesand negatives of each system. Some hintsthat apply to all recycling systems are:

1. Always place a garbage bin next toa recycling bin – this reduces thelikelihood of contamination;

2. Make sure all garbage and recyclingbins are clearly labelled. You shouldbe able to read the label from atleast five metres away;

3. Put labels and bin stickers on the binsbefore giving them to the tenants.Don’t rely on the tenants to do this;and

4. Hand out simple posters (not too big)that tenants can put up telling officestaff how to use the new recyclingsystem.

System 1. Centralised paper recyclingThis system is the simplest to implement forbuilding management and cleaners. A bluewheelie bin for paper recycling is put ineach office, preferably next to thephotocopier and/or the printer. It isimportant that a garbage bin is put next tothe paper-recycling bin to help preventpeople putting garbage in the paper bin.When the bin is full, the cleaners take it tothe waste room, loading dock or car parkfor the paper recyclers to collect.

Advantages:- There is likely to be lower

contamination in the paper recyclingbecause it takes more effort to recyclethan to put material in the garbage bin.

- Tenants are responsible for managingthe paper they produce and putting itin the recycling (just like at home).

- Waste and paper are removed fromthe office using completely separatesystems, which means cleaners are

less likely to mix the recycled paper inwith the garbage.

Disadvantages: - The system relies on the tenant’s staff

to do their bit. If the system is notmade as convenient as possible, staffmight not use it all the time.

- Sufficient space is required near thephotocopier and/or printer for storinga large recycling bin. This can be aproblem in cramped or small offices.

Suitable situations:large offices;

when “retrofitting” a system, that is, introducing a system in the middle of a cleaning contract;

where minimal change for cleaningstaff is preferred;

where there is limited extra money for a recycling service;

where there is a high level of officeworker compliance.

In the waste room

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The centralisedpaper recyclingsystem is thesimplest toimplement forbuildingmanagementand cleaners.

In the office

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System 2. Each desk has a smallpaper bin and a smallgarbage binThe way to make this system work is to ensure that the garbage bin and thepaper bin look very different to each other.It is also important cleaners can pick upboth the waste bin and the paper bin at thesame time. This means they need a trolleythat holds two bags - one for the garbageand another for the paper. If they have tovisit each desk twice, once to pick upgarbage and again to pick up paper, theyprobably won’t do it. Everything will endup in the garbage.

Advantages:- This system is convenient for

office workers, which shouldlead to more office workersrecycling and more paperbeing recovered.

Disadvantages: - Cleaners may perceive that this system

is doubling their workload. They maynot co-operate with such a system.

- It relies on cleaners collecting thecontents of the bins separately, andnot just emptying everything into theone bag.

Suitable situations:where a high level of convenience foroffice workers is very important;

where the co-operation of cleaningstaff is guaranteed.

In the waste room

In the office

Advantages:- This system makes it convenient to

recycle, which should lead toincreased participation rates andincreased recovery rates.

- It is less unpleasant for cleaners, asthey only have to empty one or twogarbage bins per floor, and the rest ofthe bins contain only clean paper.

- It can mean less work for the cleaners.Garbage bins need to be emptiedevery day, but paper bins can be leftlonger. By only having to empty deskbins every second day, cleaning costscan be reduced.

Disadvantages: - There may be higher levels of

contamination due to it being easier toput things in the recycling bin than inthe garbage bin. However, as such ahigh proportion of the waste is paper,if most people do the right thing, itshouldn’t matter.

Suitable situations:offices where very high proportion of the waste stream is paper;

offices where there is a highawareness level.

System 3.Centralised garbage bin anda paper recycling bin at each deskAn alternative to the first system is to not onlygive everyone a paper recycling bin at theirdesk, but also to make them get up to puttheir garbage in a central bin. This systemhas potentially better savings than the centralrecycling bin, and means there are only oneor two putrescible bins per office for thecleaners to empty.

In the office

In the waste room

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Securing the co-operation of the cleaning staff is crucialto the success of any recycling program; they are theones who transfer the material from the office to thecollection point. Cleaners and cleaning companies mayresist the introduction of recycling because they believe it will take them longer to empty the bins, effectivelycosting them money.

orking with the cleaners andwaste collection contractors

As mentioned earlier, the most commonproblem with cleaners and recyclingsystems is with cleaning staff mixing thesource-separated recycling with thegarbage and putting both in the garbageskip/compactor. During the studies onoffice towers, cleaners were asked whythey were putting the recycling in thegarbage. There were a range of responses,but the most common one was that theyhad been told to do so.

The impact of this behaviour goes beyondthe lost opportunity to recycle the separatedpaper, and saving disposal costs. Sooneror later, the tenants will discover that theirrecycling efforts are being undermined.This makes the cleaners, and the buildingmanagement, appear deceitful. Thecleaning service is the most visible aspectof the building management for most

people who work in the office. In terms ofimage and relations with tenants, it canhave a negative impact to implement arecycling system only to be caught puttingall the recycling in the garbage.

The key to success is to ensure that recycledmaterials stay separated throughout thehandling process. To achieve this, thefollowing measures might help overcomepotential obstacles.

Write it into the contract

The best time to introduce a recyclingsystem is at the beginning of a newcontract. The tender documents andcontract documents should clearly andexplicitly state what is expected of thecleaners. This is particularly important forlabour-intensive systems such as each deskhaving a garbage and paper recycling bin.

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If introducing recycling into an existingcontract, it would be prudent to either givethe cleaning company the opportunity torevise their price and have the extra taskswritten into the contract, or choose the leastlabour-intensive system. The rightconfiguration could even save the cleanerssome time and effort.

There is an increasing move for theconsolidation of contracts, so that often thebulk of building services are let as onecontract to a facilities manager, or to acleaning company. While this streamlinesadministration, it can make it extremelydifficult to institute change. The tenants andbuilding manager have no direct contact,and no direct control over the wastecollection contractor/s. This inflexibility canlead to increased costs if there is a changein service for any reason, such asimplementing or increasing recycling services.

Waste CollectionContracts As for most services, a waste and recyclingcollection service is a balance betweenquality and cost. Ideally, a collectionservice should offer flexibility and a highlevel of customer service. However, thiscosts money.

The best way to achieve cost-effectiveflexibility is to let a combinedgarbage/recycling collection servicecontract to the one (reputable) company.Combining the waste and recycling servicesallows the collection company to offset theincrease in the recycling costs against thesavings in waste disposal, and pass savingsonto the customer. If separate companieshold each contract, then each will bereluctant to reduce their service fees tobenefit the other. The temptation is to signthe lowest - cost garbage collectioncontract. However, this can result in asubstantial increase in costs once recyclingis implemented, as this may require a new,separate contract that is extra to theexisting garbage collection service.

The range of services included in the feeshould be balanced against the cost. Aquality garbage/recycling contract shouldclearly state whether the following are

included, and whether there are any extra costs:

Garbage container size andfrequency of collection;

Recycling container size andfrequency of collection;

Alteration of proportion of garbageto recycling containers shouldrecycling rates increase or decrease;

Customer determination of collectiontime;

Extra fee to go inside the building orto travel excessive distance from truckto container;

Rent and/or repairs on collectioncontainers;

Additional or non-scheduled pick-ups;

Regular cleaning of containers;

Excess charge if a container is over-full or if the weight of thecontainer exceeds a maximumamount;

Recycling education program ormaterials for tenants and cleaners;and

Ability to access your site with their trucks.

Cleaning ContractsOn one hand, having the waste contractmanaged by the cleaning company givesthe cleaners a vested interest in ensuringthe recycling works, so they can realise thecost savings. However, where a cleaningcompany has engaged a small wasteoperator who does not offer a recyclingservice, the temptation will be to put all thewaste in one container and dispose of it to landfill.

Existing contracts may not allow variationin the waste/recycling collectionarrangements. When developing a newcontract, building managers should takethe opportunity to incorporate clauses thatrequire cleaners to support any recyclinginitiatives that are implemented by thebuilding, or even by individual tenants.

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Sample Clauses - Waste Collection ContractsProvision of service The service provider will provide a waste and recycling collection service to the

client as per the service levels and fees listed in schedule 1.

Recycling assurance Where materials have been separated for recycling, the service provider will makeall reasonable efforts to ensure the material is recycled [according to its highestresource use].

Contamination penalty The client agrees to pay a penalty clause for contamination in the recycling as perschedule 1, on the condition that the service provider can provide documentedevidence of continued contamination above agreed levels in schedule 1.

Flexibility The client reserves the right to review the number and size of containers for wasteand recycling every 3 months. The service fee will be altered to reflect the changein service. The new service will be costed according to schedule 1.

Collection times All waste and recycling will be collected between the hours of [12 midnight] and [6am].

Non-scheduled pick-ups The service provider will make non-scheduled collections of waste and recycling asrequested by the client. The fees for non-scheduled collections are as per schedule 1.

Collection point The client will be responsible for placing the waste and recycling bins at thecollection point indicated on the site layout in schedule _.

Bin stickers The service provider will ensure that all waste and recycling collection containersare labelled with the appropriate sticker from Resource NSW’s Standard Signs forWaste and Recycling Bins.

Reporting The service provider will provide the client with written [monthly] [quarterly] reportson the waste and recycling service, as per schedule _.

Schedule 1Scheduled collections

Material Containers Collection frequency Cost Contamination penalty

Garbage 1x10m3 Tuesday and Thursday of $200 per NAcompactor each week pickup plus

$100 per month unit rental

Paper 10x240L MGBs Monday and Wednesday $3 per MGB $5 per MGB perof each week per collection collection

Cardboard Cardboard Friday of each week $100 per pickup $100 per pickupbaler plus $20 per

month unit rental

Non-scheduled collections

Material Containers Cost Contamination penalty

Garbage 1x10m3 compactor $400 per pickup NA

Paper 10x24L MGBs $3 per MGB per collection $5 per MGB per collection

Cardboard Cardboard baler $100 per pickup plus $100 per pickup$20 per month unit rental

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Put up signs

Simple, graphical signs can make it clearwhat material goes where. The mostimportant sign will be in the waste room,

where cleaners are out ofsight of watchful tenants. Anexample of the type of signthat should be posted in thewaste room is given on page 7.

Making sure all bins andcollection trolleys are clearly marked mayhelp, also. Graphics and bin labels can bedownloaded from the internet(www.resource.nsw.gov.au/officebuildings/links.htm).

Page 7 gives example signs to be posted inoffices. These might also be useful forletting cleaners know what to do and why,as well as the tenants.

Talk to the cleaners

Face-to-face communication with thecleaning supervisor, and preferably thecleaning staff, will impress on them thatyou are serious about what is required ofthem. It also gives them the opportunity toask questions, give feedback and makesuggestions. Ideally, the cleaners will beable to help tailor your waste and recyclingsystem to suit your building, resulting in abetter outcome for everyone. A good time

to do this is when the new recyclingequipment is installed. A short trainingsession will be necessary for OHS reasonsif you are installing a baler or compactor.This should include a briefing on therecycling system as a whole.

Monitor waste and recycling amounts

Your waste and recycling contractor shouldbe able to provide monthly feedback on theamount of material collected from yourbuilding, and the approximatecontamination levels (i.e. non-recyclablematerial in the recycling bins). Thisinformation is often written on the invoice.By monitoring this over time, you can seewhether recycling is steady, improving orerratic. If it is erratic, then there may be abreakdown in the system somewhere.

Sample clause - cleaning contractCompliance with Waste Management System. The waste and recycling system at thepremises is as per schedule 1. All waste and recycling will be collected and removed to alocation designated by the client. Where material has been separated for recycling, theservice provider will ensure recyclable material is kept separate from the general waste.At all times, the service provider will comply with the client’s waste management system[and Environmental Management System].

Collections performed as directed. Recycling and waste collections will be performed asdirected by Building Management. Recycling and waste collection systems may alter fromtime to time, at the discretion of Building Management.

Recycling contamination penalty. Where the client finds that cleaning staff are causingcontamination of the recycling, the service provider will pay any financial penalty forcontamination charged by the waste and recycling collection contract.


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The best way of reducing waste is to encourage yourtenants not to produce it. This will save them money, aswell as saving you money. A copy of “Waste Reduction inOffice Buildings, A Guide for Tenants” is available fromResource NSW (www.resource.nsw.gov.au/officebuildings).

orking with the tenants

Some tenants, such as State Governmentdepartments and large organisations whoreport on their environmental performance,will require paper recycling systems to bein place. If the building management doesnot provide them, then tenants will maketheir own arrangements. Building-widesystems are more efficient and costeffective. They also limit the number ofcollection contractors having access to thebuilding. If one or more tenants require apaper recycling system, it is probably bestfrom a security and operational point ofview for building management to makearrangements on behalf of all tenants.

Building-wide recycling systems work betterthe more tenants participate. This alsoimproves the cost savings to the building asa whole through avoided disposal costs.Therefore, if the majority

of tenants would like a recycling system,then a building-wide system should beimplemented, and other tenants should beencouraged to participate. There are anumber of measures that can help improveparticipation rates.

Tenancy LeasesThe key to achieving a successful, cost-effective recycling service in an officebuilding is to ensure that as many tenantsactively participate as possible. Usingtenancy leases to require tenants to recyclehas several benefits:

It reduces garbage (and henceoverall garbage disposal costs);

It provides a mechanism to penalisetenants who consistently contaminatethe recycling bins;

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It lets tenants know up-front that thereis a centralised recycling system, thuspreventing them from engaging theirown contractor; and

It lets tenants know up-front what isexpected of them in relation to thewaste and recycling service.

Example clauses that can be inserted intotenancy agreements include:

While tenancy clauses can be useful, theyshould not be relied on as the solemechanism for encouraging tenants torecycle. Often, the person signing thetenancy agreement is not responsible forday-to-day running of the office. In largeorganisations, the people working in theoffice may never see a copy of the lease.Further, not many building managers wouldrisk souring relations with a large tenantover whether they are recycling as muchpaper as they could. Ongoing education,reminders and support can be much moreeffective in practice.

Sample clause - tenant leasesBuilding Management to arrange all waste andrecycling collections. Building Management will arrangeall waste and recycling collections on behalf of the client. Nowaste or recycling collection contractor is permitted on thepremises without permission in writing from BuildingManagement.

Compliance with Waste Management System.The tenant will utilise and conform with the waste managementsystem in the building [as outlined in schedule 1].

Tenants to minimise waste. Tenants will make allreasonable efforts to minimise waste from thebuilding by;

a) developing and implementing a waste managementplan for their operations in the building;

b) separating waste paper for recycling, as per the wastemanagement system; and

c) not contaminating the recycling.

Contamination penalty. If the tenant is found by BuildingManagement to be contaminating the recycling, then they willbe required to pay [a penalty of $200 per incident][anypenalty charged by the recycling contractor].

Waste from fitouts. Tenants will pay the cost of wasteremoval incurred as a result of fitout or refurbishment of their office.

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Building Operations Manual/House RulesAn alternative to clauses in tenancy leases isto have a Building Operations Manual, or“House Rules”. A book of “House Rules”lists all the procedures that the tenant needsto know, such as parking arrangements,security, cleaning and waste. It can alsoinclude other useful information such asemergency contact phone numbers andbuilding services. This document is given tothe office manager by the building manageron their arrival, and remains in the office asa reference. That way, the people occupyingthe office space have ready access to theinformation they need.

BOMA International has a downloadablepublication called “Do It Yourself Guide toProducing a Tenant Handbook “(www.boma.org/pubs/doit_th.htm) thatmight be useful.

Financial incentivesIt may not be worth distributing the costsavings achieved through a central paperrecycling system to individual tenants.However, it can be motivating to the tenantsto see some benefit to them as a result ofthe recycling effort. If savings are achieved,tenants should be informed through anewsletter or memo. It should be highlightedthat savings in waste costs can delayincreases in service fees. Tenants are morelikely to sustain their recycling efforts if theycan see some tangible benefits, as well asbeing aware of general environmentalbenefits.

CommunicationCommunication is the key to any successfulrecycling system. Most people are preparedto do what is asked of them, as long as it isclear what is required and it does not needmuch effort on their part. When introducinga recycling system into a building, it isrecommended that you:

Send a letter or memo to all tenantsannouncing the introduction of therecycling system. See below for anexample memo;

Make sure all bins are clearlylabelled. Standard bin labels can bedownloaded from the internet(www.resource.nsw.gov.au/officebuildings/links.htm);

Post educational signs near the new recycling bins when they are introduced. Example posters areincluded on page 7. These areavailable to download electronicallyfrom www.resource.nsw.gov.au/officebuildings/building.htm;

Send out regular reminders throughmemos or the building newsletter(preferably electronically). Includefeedback on how the recycling isgoing, for example, tonnes recycled,contamination problems, etc.

To: All tenants

From: Cash Tower Building Management

Subject: Coming Soon – Paper Recycling

In response to requests from a number of tenants,Building Management is pleased to announce that abuilding-wide, paper recycling system will be introducedto Cash Tower, starting (day, month, year).

The recycling system will involve each tenant receivingone or more blue bins for used paper. Tenants arerequested to place this bin in a convenient location, suchas next to the photocopier or printer. Bins will be initiallyallocated at one bin per 1000m2 floor space. It isexpected that it will take approximately one week todistribute the bins to all tenants.

Full paper bins will be removed and replaced by thecleaning staff on an as-needs basis. Each office willreceive a small poster that explains the new system.

If you have any queries about the new service, pleasecontact me on_________.

Kind regards

Bill

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During an office refurbishment there arethree phases that require different strategiesto reduce waste.

1. Design

2. Strip-out

3. Construction

1. Design“Designing out” waste in the first place is the best way to reduce waste in the long term.

Write into the designer’s brief thatthey minimise waste andreuse/recycle materials whereverpossible.

Use modular components that canbe easily reconfigured to create aflexible work space.

Use durable materials andfurnishings.

Use materials that can be (or are)refurbished or remanufactured. (forexample, carpet tiles).

Require designers to write (andimplement) a waste managementplan. (Council may require thisanyway).

Reuse demolition materials on-site(for example, timber, partitions,light fittings, glass).

Specify minimal, returnable orrecyclable packaging fromsuppliers.

2. Strip-outUse a company that deconstructsrather than demolishes.

Require demolishers to adhere tothe waste management plan.

Use a demolition company that hasits own retail outlet for second-handbuilding materials. They may beable to salvage more than one thatdoesn’t.

Nominate somebody to helporganise the lifts and loading baysso that contractors can recycle andreuse as much material as possible(otherwise it’s easier to “throw it inthe bin”).

Get receipts from the wastecompany about the amount reused,recycled and landfilled.

Some of the materials may be leftonsite for reuse by the builder, for example, glass, timber, carpetunderlay.

3. ConstructionUse a builder who is flexible andcan reuse materials.

Get materials made to measure tominimise offcuts, particularlyplasterboard.

Minimise and recycle packaging,particularly cardboard.

Reducing Waste in Office Refurbishments

Example:When the Inner Sydney Waste Board extended their office they had extensive discussionswith the designer so that any demolition was minimised. They also:

> Re-used internal doors.

> Used excess plasterboard as insulation within the internal walls.

> Minimised the realignment of existing walls.

> Steam cleaned the existing carpet instead of replacing it.

> Purchased refurbished furniture.

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The final decision is likely to be a financial one. Recyclingand waste reduction measures can save a significantproportion of the waste bill. It can also contribute to thebottom line through less tangible channels, such as cleanerwaste handling in the building, improved image andincreased attractiveness to tenants.

ost Savings

The cost of waste disposal is set to increasesubstantially over the next decade. This isdue to a number of factors, mainly annualincreases in the State Government wastelevy and the high costs of setting up newdisposal facilities. The amount of costsavings that can be achieved depends onthe configuration of the system and thenature of the contracts for cleaning andwaste removal. However, a range ofbenefits to the building throughrecycling/waste reduction can bedemonstrated for most buildings. Someexamples of cost savings and indirectbenefits are given below.

Direct savingsRecycling is cheaper than garbagedisposal

It is cheaper for waste collection companiesto collect recyclable materials than it is tocollect garbage. There are a couple ofreasons for this. Firstly, the collectors payless to deliver recyclable material to wastemanagement centres than garbage (forwhich there is a disposal fee and a StateGovernment levy). For some materials, therecyclable material is free to drop off, sothe cost to them is simply the transport cost.Secondly, separated recyclable materialstend to be cleaner and drier than mixed

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garbage. Therefore, the bins/compactorsand collection vehicles can be lessexpensive and require less maintenancethan those used for garbage. As it isrelatively straightforward to recycle and iseasy to transport, clean office paper is oneof the most cost effective materials to recycle.

Don’t pay to throw away air

Most commercial businesses pay each timetheir waste container is emptied. Somebusinesses need to have waste removedevery day for health and odour reasons.However, office waste tends to be quiteclean. Also, for large office buildings,waste can be collected in a compactor,which means the waste is fully enclosed.Therefore, most office buildings don’t needto have their waste collected every dayprovided they have the space

to store the waste generated over a longer period.

Previous studies of a range of businessesshow that often bins are not full, or evennearly full, when they are emptied. Thismeans that those businesses could either“make do” with smaller bins or have theirexisting bins emptied less frequently. It maybe that extra bins are required during peaktimes (such as the end of the financialyear). However, this doesn’t mean thatexcess bin capacity is required all the time.

If the building uses a skip bin, flatteningcardboard boxes can save a lot of space.Even better, separate boxes for recycling. Abaler might be required, or cardboardboxes will need to be flattened andstacked, both for easy storage and easy collection.

Example: We saw on page 5 that a typical office tower’s waste contains 55% paper. Ifmanagement arrange a paper recycling system for the whole building, they caneasily divert half of the paper from the garbage stream. The following is an exampleof a building that produces 1 tonne per day of waste.

If garbage is stored in a 10m3 compactor, then it will need to be cleared about every 3 days, or approximately 10 times per month. If the cost is $300 per clearance, then the cost of waste disposal is about $3000 per month.

By recycling half of the paper, 275 kg per day is diverted from the garbage. This leaves 725kg per day as garbage. The 10m3 compactor only needs to becleared every 4 days, or roughly 7 times per month. The garbage cost is then $2100 per month. If paper is collected at a flat rate of $150 per month, the costsaving is approximately $750 per month or $9000 per year.

Example: A building had a regular, three times per week pick up of their waste bin. Thecleaner noticed that the bin was usually only half full when it was emptied. Thebuilding manager decided to trial a twice per week pick up. This turned out to besufficient, and the building saved a third of its garbage removal costs.

Extra paper recycling bins were brought in for the financial year peak. The recyclingbins were approximately half the cost of the garbage bins. So, a substantial costsaving was still achieved.

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Cost of contamination

Where recycling programs can end upcosting more money is when thecontamination levels are high. If thecontamination levels are too high, thematerial can’t be recycled and has to bedumped at a landfill. Paper recyclingcompanies will usually charge a penaltywhen the contamination is too high. This isto cover the cost of disposing thecontaminated material and to encouragebusinesses not to contaminate theirrecycling.

The way to keep the contamination low,and hence avoid penalties, is to have anongoing education program with thetenants. This can consist of:

Clear and correct stickers on the bins;

Posters and information sheets nearthe bins; and

Regular reminders in a newsletter orby memo.

The cost of these simple measures are welland truly covered by the avoidedcontamination level penalties. In manycases, suitable stickers and posters areavailable for a low cost or for free from therecycling company, the local Council or theState Government (see Appendix A - Whereto go for help).

Sometimes cleaners put waste in therecycling bins. If the recycling contract isheld with the cleaning company, then theywill receive the penalty, anyway. If therecycling contract is held directly with thebuilding management, then there should besome mechanism to pass on any penaltiesresulting from poor practices by cleaningstaff. A discussion on contracts is given inthe previous section.

Example: An office block in the Sydney CBD was paying a flat fee of$100 per month for paper recycling. Due to consistently highcontamination levels, the flat rate fee was increased to $750per month. Therefore, the office block was paying $650 permonth more than it needed to because people were putting thewrong things in the paper recycling bin.

Cleaning costs

One of the barriers to implementing apaper recycling system is the real orperceived increase in cleaning costs. Evenfor those systems that require more time, the cost increase is negligible. For well-runsystems with high recycling rates, theavoided disposal costs should cover anyextra cleaning costs. If you can convinceyour tenants to use the system of having apaper bin at each desk and a centralisedgarbage bin (System 3), you can easilyreduce cleaning costs.

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Indirect returnsMost State Government departments arenow required to recycle paper and re-usetoner cartridges. They are also required toreport how much they recycle to the NSWEnvironment Protection Authority and intheir annual report. Many largercompanies are becoming increasinglyaware of their image as goodenvironmental citizens. Further, manycompanies report on their environmentalperformance in their annual report. Onesimple measure companies can do for theenvironment is recycle their office paper. Inthe future, buildings that are seeking large,long-term tenants will need to satisfy arange of environmental criteria, of whichpaper recycling will be the most common.

Ethical investment funds are becomingincreasingly popular. People are looking toinvest in socially and environmentallyresponsible funds. Access to theseinvestment funds will be denied toorganisations that don’t comply with certainstandards. Recycling and waste reductionare one aspect of a “green” building thatmay be eligible as an environmentallyfriendly property investment.

Example: Studies by Resource NSW found that the wastegeneration rate in offices were approximately 0.03 kg per m2 floorspace per weekday, of whichabout 0.0163 kg per m2 per weekday was recyclablepaper. If a cleaner (costing $27 per hr) takes 5 minutesper 100m2† floorspace to empty desk bins and take thewaste down to the dock, and the cost of wasteremoval/disposal is $200 per tonne, then the cost ofcleaning and waste removal is approximately $2.85per 100m2 floorspace.

A new system is implemented where waste desk binsare replaced with paper recycling desk bins and acentral bin for garbage, with paper recycling costingabout $1 per tonne paper (administration fee) and thedesk paper bins are only cleared three times per week.If 50% of the paper is recycled and the time taken bythe cleaner to empty the central garbage bin is 5minutes, the cost of cleaning and waste/recyclingremoval is approximately $2.67 per 100m2 floorspace.The savings increase as the recycling rate increases.

A simple cleaning, waste removal and recycling costingmodel is available on the Resource NSW websitewww.resource.nsw.gov.au/officebuildings/building.htm

† source: Cleaning Makes Cents, BOMA International, 1997

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Implementing a recycling system should be relativelystraightforward, as long as all aspects are addressed from the beginning. The checklist below provides prompts for theactivities that need to be undertaken if the recycling systemis to be successful.

hecklist

Look at the waste management systemsyour building has in place, and workout where improvements can be made.

Select recycling system and bins. Thecleaners and/or the waste contractorsshould be able to advise you on this.

Obtain agreement with the cleaners asto how the system will operate and anychanges in work load.

Make a case and obtain approval fromthe Building Owner.

Inform tenants of the intention toimplement a recycling system. Involveinterested tenants in the program. Askfor suggestions and feedback.

Label bins before distributing to tenants.

Install recycling bins/equipment.

Post signs in offices and the waste room.

Make sure you receive regular feedbackfrom the recycler/s regarding volumeand contamination levels.

Pass feedback on to tenants andcleaners through emails, memos and newsletters.

C


✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓✓

✓

✓

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Resource NSW has set up an office building waste management resource web page, whichcan be accessed from:

www.resource.nsw.gov.au/officebuildings

It contains links to a range of useful publications and web sites, including bin stickers and posters.

Other sources of information include;Your local Council. Look on the Department of Local Government’s web site for contact detailswww.dlg.nsw.gov.au

The Property Council www.propertyoz.com.au

EcoRecycle Victoria www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au

California Integrated Waste Management Board www.ciwmb.ca.gov

NSW Government www.livingthing.net.au

Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International www.boma.org

EcoOffice www.ecooffice.com.au

Ethical Investor Magazine www.ethicalinvestor.com.au

Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) www.seda.nsw.gov.au

Environment Australia Public Environment Reportingwww.ea.gov.au/industry/sustainable/per

National Australian Building Environmental Rating System (NABERS)www.ea.gov.au/industry/waste/construction/abers.html

Appendix A: Where to go for help

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Desk binsDesk bins are generally approximately 10 litres involume and come in a range of shapes. It’s a good ideato have solid bins for garbage (to prevent leakage) andbins you can see through for paper (so the cleaners andeveryone else can see if people are trashing the paperrecycling). Cleaners should be given permission to leavepaper-recycling bins that have garbage in them. Somepaper recyclers provide a small cardboard box for eachoffice worker to keep at their desk and put paper in.

Mobile Garbage Bins (MGBs)

MGBs are good for paper recycling systems as they hold a large amount of material and areeasy to move. They are generally used for transferring the paper from the office area down towhere the recycler will collect the paper.

Bulk bins (skip bins)

Most bulk bins are collected using a front-lift truck, which requires a high clearance(approximately 6m). If storing waste in an underground carpark, it is unlikely that a bulk bincan be used.


Appendix B: Waste and recycling equipment

Bin Type 120L MGB 240L MGB

Height 940mm 1080mm

Width 485mm 580mm

Depth 560mm 735mm

Bin Type 1.5m3 2.0m3 3.0m3

Height 910mm 865mm 1225mm

Width 905mm 1400mm 1505mm

Depth 1810mm 1830mm 1805mm

NB: Dimensions are a

guide only and differ

slightly according to

the manufacturer.

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Vertical baler

Vertical balers are good for buildings that generatea lot of cardboard. The baler squashes thecardboard into rectangular bales, which are easierto store and handle than large amounts of loosecardboard.

Safety features must be checked before installingand using any sort of compaction equipment.

CompactorsCompactors are good for buildings that generatelarge volumes of waste, but have only a smallspace in which to store it. Typically, units compressthe waste to approximately half its original size(2:1 compaction rate). Higher compaction ratesare possible.

Compaction units are generally used for garbage. However, in office towers, whereapproximately 60-70% of the waste stream is paper and cardboard, it might be convenient touse a compactor for paper and cardboard. The main drawback is that if garbage is put intothe compactor, the recycler doesn’t find out until it is unloaded at the paper recycling plant.Then the whole load has to be picked up and transferred to the tip. This all takes time andcosts money. So, it is likely the building will be charged a penalty if this occurs. Therefore,compactors should only be used in buildings where a very high percentage of the waste ispaper and cardboard, and the cleaners can be relied upon to keep garbage out of the papercompactor.

As for balers, safety features of any compaction unit must be checked prior to installation andoperation.

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Below is an example memo to send to building owners seeking approval to introduce a paperrecycling system in the building. The focus is on the potential cost savings, as well asproviding a service to tenants. Basically, the larger the building, the more waste is generated,and the greater the potential savings.


Appendix C: The hard sell: Making a case to building owners

To:

From:

Subject: Introduction of a paper recycling system into Camelot Tower, 13 Gallahad Street

Arthur,

A number of tenants in Camelot Towers have requested that building management introduce abuilding-wide paper recycling scheme. In particular, Merlin Enterprises, one of our largest tenants,is required to have access to paper recycling as part of their own environmental targets.

I support this initiative, as I believe it will be good for the image of Camelot Towers and has thepotential to save on the building’s waste removal costs.

I have contacted [a number of] recycling companies, including the building’s current waste removalcontractor. From the prices obtained, I recommend the following configuration:

Resource NSW estimates that the waste from a typical office tower is approximately 50-60%paper. Therefore, the tower only needs to recycle half of the paper in the waste to achieve a costsaving of around $225 per week. We believe we can achieve this with relatively little effort byusing the free education resources available from Resource NSW.

I have discussed the proposal with the cleaning company and the cleaning supervisor. Both haveagreed to support the new system.

If you have any queries, please contact me at your convenience.

Kind regards,

Lance

Paper recycling Garbage removal

Current arrangement Compactor removed three times per week = $900 per week

Proposed arrangement Flat rate $300 per month Compactor removed twice ($75 per week) per week = $600 per week

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Appendix D: Example Newsletter

waste reductionin office buildings - recycling near you · resource nsw - waste reduction in office...

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