The 2017 GRESB Assessment uncovered the challenges Healthy Buildings’ clients face with capturing accurate waste data. While EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool now provides a waste tracking tool, most waste haulers do not provide accurate ongoing data. This prompted an exploration of solutions to improve ongoing waste data accuracy at both the tenant and building-level. Waste tracking can be difficult since utility bills are not based on consumption or usage. Certification and assessment programs like GRESB, LEED, ZeroWaste, etc. have different requirements for measuring and calculating waste diversion, so while the sustainability industry is responding to the movement toward dynamic data tracking, we decided to survey some client efforts at waste data tracking and experiment in-house with our Green Team.
We began with analyzing our own office-based waste streams as a test case, and conceiving a program to track portfolio-level waste. We gained meaningful insight into our own waste reduction opportunities, and developed solutions for our clients in support of the GRESB assessment.
We conducted waste audits at our offices, established waste diversion baselines, and developed a competition for waste reduction improvement. Target reduction goals were established per property. Properties will be re-assessed to determine the offices with the greatest improvements. Some opportunities for increased diversion uncovered are listed below:
[one-half-first]
Research local waste hauling specifics (e.g. what can and can’t be recycled, is organics collection available?)
Use reusable plates, mugs and silverware
Use reusable or compostable K cups if necessary
Inform employees that cardboard coffee cup holders and lids are recyclable
Quick-rinse and recycle food containers
Switch from disposable to rechargeable batteries
Establish a composting program
Provide bags next to the door for takeout lunches and/or shopping
[/one-half-first]
[one-half]
[/one-half]
Our first step to developing a robust waste reduction program was to establish a top-down message from our CEO; Simon Turner issued an email blast and spoke to personal challenges he faces with waste reduction and made a personal commitment to action.
We established a waste reduction challenge with a reward. This propelled accountability for personal actions through a spirited competition. Green Team members dreamed up incentives like extra paid time off, a pizza party, or gift cards; we opted for sustainably made reusable steel mugs to promote walking the talk. Below are the steps to kicking off a small scale (tenant-based) waste assessment which should begin with defining an action plan and measurement strategy based on your goals.
Establish a waste diversion baseline by conducting a mini-waste audit over the course of a week
Capture bin sizes
Estimate fullness of recycling and trash bins using quarter, half, three-quarters, or full
Take pictures of trash and recycling containers
OR perform a formal waste audit with a full 24-hour sample and weigh each material type
Publicize the office’s diversion rates with a competition and rewards
Define reduction opportunities through a Green Team representative, and present a plan to all employees
Conduct follow up mini-audits to determine the new diversion rates
Publicize winner
Issue rewards (ideally something that works toward waste reduction goals – i.e. reusable mugs)
We converted the lessons learned in our offices into how commercial real estate can capture ongoing/dynamic GRESB waste data without conducting waste audits. Below is a very low-tech measurement tool for waste tracking. One of our clients is currently testing the strategy with a security guard eye-balling the dumpsters over the course of a week and extrapolating. Reach out to Healthy Buildings for GRESB consulting, to receive a waste audit or sustainability consulting services, or for assistance capturing waste data for your 2018 GRESB Assesment. Contact Gwen Merkin: [email protected] or 917-828-1293.
This article is written by Gwen S. Merkin, Program Manager, Corporate Sustainability.
Related insights
Articles
Participate in the 2017 GRESB Health & Well-being Module
In 2015, our Green Health Partnership research team worked with GRESB and its stakeholders to develop the first GRESB Health & Well-being Module. Last year, 174 real estate entities – 23% of all entities participating in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment – demonstrated market leadership by participating in the inaugural health-focused module. This year, participants […]
I can give you the statistics: Healthcare in America is more than 17% of the GDP. 20 diseases account for fully half of America’s health care spend, with diabetes, heart disease and hypertension being three of the top five causes. In the midst of the debate going on in the US about how to pay […]
Rob O’Halloran How the property industry is fighting the stigma of mental illness & promoting positive mental health As part of the GRESB Health and Wellbeing Week, Howard Morgan explains an important new initiative in the UK property industry. Would you tell your boss if you’ve got a sporting injury? You probably would……but would you […]