We published our Waste Management Plan in 2005 and started to implement it at our properties throughout the UK in 2006.
At Broadgate in the City of London we worked with occupiers to collect waste data. We increased the proportion of waste recycled from 40% in 2005 to 46% in 2006 through the installation of cardboard balers and glass crushing facilities for all occupiers. In 2006 Timothy Roberts, a British Land Director, wrote to all Broadgate occupiers about waste management, describing initiatives and outlining our targets for 2007. These include:
- Reducing waste per head by 5% and recycling over 50% of all waste at Broadgate. This will in part be done by encouraging occupiers to increase their use of recycling facilities and by encouraging greater paper recycling
- Reducing 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 worked with occupiers to identify opportunities to improve waste management. They were assisted by environmental consultants Arup.
16 occupiers filled in a questionnaire on their waste management arrangements and attended a meeting to discuss their:
- Waste streams and method of disposal
- Recycling and re-use schemes
- Use of on-site waste management facilities
- Waste contractors and availability of waste documentation
- Waste management policies and initiatives
- Monitoring and reporting of waste streams produced
- Interest in centralised recycling schemes and 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
- Organising a single waste contractor to collect general waste from occupiers to reduce the overall cost of disposing of general waste.
At Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon the team installed a Reverse Vending Machine, which is currently crushing 1,000 aluminium units a week.
At Head Office the team recycled 13,790 kilograms of paper and 310 kilograms of aluminum cans and plastic bottles. This saved the equivalent of 187 trees and 61,200 kWh of energy.
