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A Guide to Implementing Recycling Systems in Multi-Tenanted Office Buildings

1 Introduction

2 Why Minimise Waste?

3 How to Set Up a Recycling System

Appendix 1: Case Studies

Appendix 2: Undertaking a Waste Sort

3 How to Set Up a Recycling System

Overview

The following section shows you how to go about designing and implementing a building-wide recycling system. While there is a general order to the set-up process, some of the steps below are interlinked and you should read the whole section before starting the design process. The steps involve:

1. gaining support for the project
2. developing a project plan
3. communication and promotion
4. undertaking a waste audit
5. cost-benefit analysis
6. system design
7. implementation
8. measuring to manage.

Step 1: Gaining support for the project

One of the keys to a successful recycling system is to ensure the tenants, property manager and cleaning firm take ownership of it. The support of all parties should be gained right at the outset of the project and regular contact maintained to encourage this ownership.

The property manager

The support of the property manager is essential, as he/she will know all of the tenants and so is in an excellent position to help with co-ordination, design and distribution of information. The property manager is also likely to be the person who ensures the ongoing operation of the recycling system. If you are not the property manager then it is important that you meet with the property manager early.

The cleaning firm

Depending on the building, the property manager may also manage the cleaning contracts and waste disposal services. Once support is gained from the property manager, contact should be made with the cleaning firm. The cleaners will be key to the implementation of the recycling system. They can give a clear description of how the solid waste is currently collected and how and where it is disposed. Some cleaning firms also have expertise in setting up waste minimisation/recycling systems.

Tenants

A project outline can then be presented to tenants at a building-wide meeting. The aim of this meeting is to gain support for the overall project concept. Areas to focus on to gain this support include the benefits of implementing a building-wide recycling system (see section 2), and letting tenants know they can participate fully in developing system design criteria, which should ensure that their needs are met (see Step 6: System design). These criteria could include ensuring the system is easy to use and accessible to all staff, and that it maintains the professional image of the building.

Once support is gained the project can be advanced by a 'champion' or a group.

• A project champion can be appointed to facilitate the project. This would most likely be the property manager or the person who initiated the meeting.
• A group comprising the property manager, representatives from tenants and the cleaning firm can meet on a regular basis to develop a project plan. The advantages of working as a group include sharing workloads and ensuring the requirements of all parties are met as the project proceeds.

Some business tenants may not be interested in actively taking part in the project. In these cases it is important to maintain a key contact within the tenancy to assist with staff education and promotion of the system once it is implemented (see Step 3: Communication and promotion).

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Step 2: Developing a project plan

It is a good idea to develop a plan for your waste minimisation project to help provide continuity for the project if team members change, and to document activities and progress. The plan is a written record of your programme and should include:

• a statement or reference to a statement that demonstrates management (building and tenant) support for the project (eg, a policy statement, a line in the annual plan or a letter from management)
• the goals of, and timeframe for, your project
• a description of your team, including members, roles and responsibilities
• a list of tenant representatives for communication
• a plan for how you will communicate and report progress of your waste minimisation programme (see Step 3: Communication and promotion).

The plan will be a living document and will be added to as the programme progresses.

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Step 3: Communication and promotion

Experience has shown that changing the habits of staff is often the hardest challenge when implementing recycling in offices. Effective communication raises staff awareness of activities and encourages participation. It is essential to have clear and regular communication during the design stage, a well-planned promotion when the system is put in place, and ongoing communication of results to all staff within the building. There should be a primary contact within each tenancy who can liaise with staff members, thus building a relationship with each business in the building.

Write a communication plan at the beginning of the project that identifies:

• who you will communicate with (tenant contacts, cleaners, etc.)
• what you will communicate (eg, activities, progress, achievements, ways for staff to become involved)
• when you will communicate (eg, monthly, when milestones are reached)
• how you will communicate (eg, team meetings, notice-boards, company newsletters, web pages).

A combination of approaches can work best. For example, you may decide to provide a one-page written report to the senior management of each tenancy and the cleaning firm(s) team fortnightly, and to include an article about the project in each issue of the building newsletter.

Communication and promotion during implementation

A well-designed recycling system will only be effective if it is combined with a comprehensive educational and promotional campaign at the time it is implemented. While design criteria ensure the system is easy to use and accessible to all staff, staff habits are often the biggest hurdle to success. There are a number of ways to market the new system to staff. For example, you may want to:

• hold a 'kick-off' event to publicise the implementation of the system and inform tenants about what is happening
• give a presentation at each tenancy outlining why the system is being implemented, its objectives, what it involves for staff, and who to contact with questions about or problems with the system
• use building-wide e-bulletins or newsletters to promote the system
• run a competition related to recycling to raise staff awareness of the system
• develop a poster for use in staff rooms to educate staff about recycling (The MfE has examples of posters available on its website).

Ongoing communication and promotion

Ongoing and effective communication is key to creating a culture among tenants that is supportive of waste minimisation. It won't happen overnight. Communication should be linked to monitoring systems and provide feedback to staff.

Competitions and incentives increase the awareness of staff about the recycling system because they provide a talking point. They can also be tied in with the review process.

External communication and promotion

As well as communicating internally, you may decide to use the project as a public relations tool and communicate to a wider audience how you are minimising waste and reducing your impact on the environment. This might target local residents, local businesses, similar industries, suppliers and clients. There are many ways you can do this, such as through technical and trade journals, trade association meetings, annual reports, newsletters, community and local newspapers, and television (local and national).

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Step 4: Undertaking a waste audit

Before starting the recycling programme a waste audit should be undertaken to determine the types and quantities of material that are present in your waste stream. You will also need to determine the total tonnages disposed to landfill, the costs of waste disposal, how and what materials are collected, and whether these activities are written into contracts. This information can then be used to design your recycling system, to provide baseline data to enable an assessment of the effectiveness of the system, and to provide information for use in the education of staff.

Historical data

Gather historical data on waste disposal from the building's tenants, including costs and the amount of material disposed to landfill per week, month or year. Depending on the contract with service providers, this will be recorded as either volume or tonnage of waste. A lot of useful information can be gathered from past invoices and accounting information. Alternatively, your waste contractor or cleaners may have records.

Waste sort

For environmental reporting purposes it is statistically preferable to have sampled a whole year's waste (ie, one waste audit of a day's waste during each season). But to gain a rough understanding of what is in your waste stream, one waste audit is fine. This involves getting the cleaner to save a day's waste (or a sample of a week's waste) and then sorting the material into categories and weighing it. Results can then be extrapolated using historical data to calculate the potential savings and reduction in waste going to landfill as the result of implementing a recycling system. (For guidance on undertaking a waste sort, see Appendix 2.) Waste audits are not difficult, but your waste contractor, cleaner or local or regional council may be able to assist you with the waste sort if you wish.

Christchurch Ministry for the Environment and Target Zero staff undertaking a waste sort in the PriceWaterhouseCoopercentre, Christchurch

Tenants and cleaners

Gather data from all tenants and the cleaning firm to document exactly how waste disposal systems operate in the building. This includes information on who collects what and when, and where it is taken. Some tenants will have existing recycling services and these should be identified. Gather information on existing contracts to collect and dispose of various materials.

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Step 5: Cost-benefit analysis

Results from the waste sort can be extrapolated using historical data to give an estimate of total recyclable materials present in your waste stream per annum. From this you can calculate the potential savings to be made from implementing a recycling system, plus the potential reductions in recyclable material to landfill (sometimes cost may not be the main driver). This information can then be used to make decisions on whether to proceed with the project and what materials to include in the system if you do. You will need to make contact with local recycling service providers to get an idea of the costs involved.

Cleaners' time

A well-designed recycling system should not increase the amount of time the cleaners spend in a building. Remember that the same amount of material is leaving the building but it has been separated into different categories before the cleaners deal with it. However, if there is any increase in cleaners time and cost (due to changing cleaning practices) this may be offset by cheaper waste disposal costs depending on different cleaning arrangements and contracts (see the 'How to collect separated recyclables from each tenancy'subsection(below)for details).

Contracts

Just who benefits financially from a recycling system depends on how the contracts with cleaners and waste removal service providers are set up. In many buildings the cost of waste disposal is built into the cleaning contracts. If this situation remains after the recycling system has been implemented then any reduction in waste to landfill will result in a financial benefit to the cleaners.

If the property manager contracts a waste removal service provider and payments are volume or weight based, then financial savings through a reduction in waste to landfill will return to the property manager, as there will be a reduced skip pick-up frequency or skip size. Where payment is on a flat rate basis for a set time period there will be no financial benefit to the property manager until the contract can be rewritten so that payment is on a per tonnage or skip basis.

Calculations

In general, recycling systems for paper, cardboard, food and mixed recyclables can be implemented in offices. An example of a cost-benefit analysis for such a system is given below. This calculation is based on weight of material, but this is not the only way to calculate costs. If you are charged per 6m³ or 3m³ skip removed rather than on a per tonne basis, then savings can be calculated by working out the reduction in skip pick-ups the proposed system can achieve, or through using the same pick-up frequency but with a smaller skip at a lower charge.

Royal & SunAlliance Centre, Auckland

Recycling paper and mixed recyclables in the Royal & SunAlliance Centre has saved $500 per month in disposal costs and has reduced waste to landfill by 30% (see Case study 1, Appendix 1).

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Step 6: System design

Design criteria

The property manager, tenants and cleaners will all have their own requirements of the recycling system and should be involved from the outset so that they can have input into the design of the recycling system. This ensures that the needs of all parties are met, and provides a framework within which to assess the system design and outcomes. Requirements may include that the system:

• is cost neutral for the disposal of waste and recyclables
• is cost neutral for cleaners' time
• maintains the professional image of the building
• is easy to use and maintain
• is accessible to every office.

Once the system requirements have been agreed, the system design can begin. The following is an outline of the main issues to be addressed in the design stage.

Deciding what materials to recycle

What is recyclable varies between regions and over time as markets and technologies change. For the most up-to-date list of recyclable products, contact your local council or recycling contractors (note some contractors deal in different materials). A list of recycling services available in Wellington will be available on the Ministry for the Environment website as of March 2004.

Results from the waste audit will give you an understanding of what types of materials are present in the waste stream. From this and the cost-benefit analysis, a decision can be made as to which materials to target for the recycling system. In an office building the materials that are recyclable are generally paper, cardboard, food/organics and mixed recyclables (plastics, glass, cans and tins).

In many businesses toner cartridges are collected by the copier and printer service providers, and because different businesses within the building may use different service providers a building-wide collection may not be possible. If participating businesses do not already use a toner cartridge recycling firm, they can be given the appropriate contact information.

Once you have decided what materials you intend to recycle, you can set targets for reducing waste to landfill. These are then used during review and monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the system, and when reporting back to staff (see Step 8: Measuring to manage). Targets should be:

• useful and meaningful for all employees
• challenging yet achievable
• flexible
• documented.

How to separate the recyclable material

Materials are best separated at source. This means that staff should be responsible for sorting the material they create. Keep in mind that recycling is more likely to be successful if the system is easy to use by both the tenants and the cleaning staff.

Paper

For paper recycling an effective option is to supply paper collection trays/boxes at each desk, printer, fax and photocopier. Once full, trays are emptied either by staff members or cleaners into centrally located recycling bins.

Although it may be easier to put all paper into an existing document destruction service, this option is often much more expensive than recycling. Confidential paper should, however, be kept separate and sent to a document destruction company. Many tenants will already have such a system in place and will want to retain this. It is recommended that confidential document destruction remain the responsibility of individual tenants. This avoids confidentially issues, and problems where businesses operating nationwide have contracts with one service provider to service all their branches and may therefore have difficulty participating in a building-wide system. You can still check to ensure the document destruction service provider is recycling the paper that is collected.

North Shore City Council's paper recycling box

Target Zero paper recycling tray

Mixed recyclables (includes aluminium and steel cans, glass bottles, and number 1 and 2 plastics)

A recycling bin for mixed recyclables should be located in the tearoom in each office, where many beverage and food containers are emptied and a sink is available for rinsing. A sign explaining what is accepted in the bin is recommended. In some parts of New Zealand other plastics may also be accepted. Check with local service providers. Staff should be responsible for placing materials into this bin.

Internal Ministry for the Environment 'What to put where' sign

Cardboard

A recycling bin for cardboard should be located in a central area, preferably at or near the bins for paper and mixed recyclables. Again, make staff responsible for flattening boxes and placing cardboard in this bin.

Cardboard recycling 'book ends' at North Shore City Council

Food

Food scraps require more effort to divert from the waste stream than other recyclables particularly as food waste is often perceived as 'smelly and slimey'. However there are a proven number of ways to deal with food waste that may help address this perception and at the same time make good use of the waste. Examples include contracting a service provider to remove the material, setting up a worm farm, or using EM bokashi to compost the materials (if volumes are small and staff volunteers are available).

• Service providers: if you don't want to deal with the food scraps yourself then you may be able to locate a local service provider. These businesses will either compost the material or feed it to pigs.
• Worm farms: these produce excellent fertiliser, and offices that use them have no problems finding someone to take it home for the garden. LandCare Research's office in Lincoln has been operating a worm farm for several years to compost their food scraps, as have the Wellington Regional Council and stores in The Warehouse chain. Worm farms can be any size, depending on the volume of material to be composted, but generally are better suited to smaller offices. For information on how to run a worm farm, check out www.wormsrus.co.nz, or see the Christchurch City Council's Guide to Worm Composting at www.ccc.govt.nz/Waste/Guides/WormComposting/.
• EM bokashi: this involves 'pickling' food scraps in an airtight container using bokashi as an inoculant or compost starter. Bokashi is a Japanese word that means 'fermented organic matter'. It is a bran-based material that has been fermented with a liquid concentrate of effective micro-organisms (EM). This is added to your bucket and aids in the fermentation of the organic matter. The liquid produced can be used for plant food, and the solids can be periodically put into gardens or ordinary compost to complete the decomposition process. This is an effective way to manage office food scraps, but is more suitable to individual tenants than on a building wide scale. ContacMike Daly, NatureFarm Ltd, www.emnz.com, mobile 029 942 2777.

How to collect separated recyclables from each tenancy

The collection of materials from each tenancy will depend on the cleaning arrangement in the building. There are two main scenarios for this.

• Where a single cleaning firm is used for the whole building, the cleaning staff collect wheelie bins provided by the recycling service provider for each type of recyclable material (see 'Engaging a recycling contractor' below for details) and visit each tenancy to empty tenant recycling bins into the appropriate wheelie bin. This is best done for all tenancies at once to reduce the time required by cleaners for this task. The wheelie bins are then returned to the storage area, which will often be in the basement.
• Where multiple cleaners are used, each cleaner (or the tenants themselves) will leave recycling bins in the lift foyer at the end of the day. The communal area cleaning staff then empty these bins into the appropriate wheelie bins and return these to the storage area.

To minimise the time taken by cleaners to undertake this task, collection of recycling and general waste can be undertaken on alternate or set days. Remember: cleaners are removing the same amount of material, it is just separated into different bins. This means there is no additional time except for the communal cleaner in the second scenario. In fact it should reduce the time for the cleaners of each tenancy in this case as they do not have to remove the material from the tenancy (see Step 5: Cost-benefit analysis).

A drawer containing four bins for milk bottles, plastic cups, mixed recyclables and general rubbish at Christchurch City Council's civic office

Engaging a recycling contractor

A variety of recycling firms should be contacted to enquire about their services and charges. The decision on which service provider to use can be made by the tenant group, project champion, or property manager, depending on who will organise and manage the contact with the recycling firm. In many cases this will be the property manager.

Ideally the service provider should provide wheelie bins, as these are easy to move around the building for collections and require minimal space. Collection frequency will need to be flexible at the outset as recycling volumes increase.

Access to your building by service providers will need to be organised where materials are kept in a security area.

Traditional cleaning companies are beginning to compete in this area and can have the benefits of reducing the number of people having access to buildings and offering an all-in-one service.

Storing recyclable materials

Space for storing materials is often an issue in commercial buildings. There are two points worth noting here.

• A greater collection frequency will allow you to use fewer or smaller bins to minimise space requirements.
• Reduction in waste to landfill may allow you to downsize the skip or bin used for general waste storage, thus providing space for recycling bins.

Savings and costs of the system

The cost-benefit analysis allows you to calculate annual savings. From this and information on cleaning and waste disposal contracts, a decision can be made on who pays for the recycling services and any additional time required for cleaning services, and who benefits from savings as a result of a reduction in waste disposal. This will depend on the system's design, the cost for waste and recyclable collection, and who pays for waste disposal. Changes in contracts may be required to meet the requirements of all involved (see Step 5: Cost-benefit analysis, for more information).

If further resource efficiency projects are planned, then the savings made as a result of the recycling system could be channelled into a fund to assist with these initiatives. This fund can also be used to pay for purchasing recycling bins for use within each tenancy, and for promotional activities.

Management of the system

Once the recycling system is initiated its ongoing management is best undertaken by the property manager. This is because it is the property manager who oversees other building-wide services and has contact with all tenants on a regular basis. The ongoing management role will include:

• identifying and resolving any problems with the system
• monitoring, reviewing and promoting the use of the system
• managing the contract with the recycling service providers
• managing the contract with the cleaner where one cleaning firm is used for the whole building, or for the communal area cleaner where tenants use individual cleaners.

The role of the cleaning firm(s) in servicing the recycling system should be written into the cleaning contracts. At Christchurch City Council, when contracts came up for renewal in 2003 specific instructions were added to contracts for each site where recycling systems were in place. An example of one of these is 'All recyclable paper is to be placed in the green recycling container situated in the photocopy room'. A performance review clause can also be written into the cleaning contract to ensure the cleaning firm is undertaking recycling tasks as required. Where individual cleaners are used by tenants, contractual alterations should be undertaken by each tenant.

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Step 7: Implementation

People are most receptive to change if they know why they should make a change, exactly what they need to do, and that their efforts will be acknowledged. It is important that changes are carefully planned and executed.

Here are some guidelines for implementing your recycling system.

1. Organise delivery of recycling bins by service providers and provide keys or access cards to service providers, where required.
2. Recycling bins and paper collection trays for use within each tenancy should be clearly labelled using national recycling symbols that have been developed by the Recycling Operators of New Zealand (RONZ). Downloadable designs are available at www.ronz.org.nz (see below for examples).
3. Ensure someone is responsible for overseeing the change to make sure it happens. You may also need to have support staff on call to sort out any problems that may arise.
4. Ensure all parties that need to know about the change are well informed so that maximum support is cultivated from the outset. This should be part of the communication plan.
5. Identify what training is required and by whom. Be sure to explain to staff why a change is needed and what you hope to achieve through this change. Again, this should be part of the communication plan.

Some examples of RONZ symbols

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Step 8: Measuring to manage

As with any system it is important to monitor the results so that you can review progress towards targets and identify and resolve any problems. Ask your recycling and waste disposal service providers to provide regular information on the weight or volume of materials they have collected so that you can track progress. If service providers cannot give you this information, you can undertake a second waste sort after three to six months to gather data on the quantities of recyclables that have been removed from the waste stream. Accounts and invoices should be analysed to compare savings to initial costings.

It is important to gather feedback from tenants and cleaners. There will always be teething problems with new systems. Providing clear avenues for feedback will allow you to identify and resolve any issues quickly. It is also recommended that periodic checks be made to ensure cleaners are properly recycling the separated material. This may be part of a formal performance review.

As well as reviewing the effectiveness and costs of the system, monitoring data provides information to give ongoing feedback to tenants. It is important to motivate tenants by celebrating successes, but also to report on problems so that they can be resolved. Feedback might include a graph of materials recycled or sent to landfill. An example is given below.

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Conclusion

Remember to provide feedback to everyone, and celebrate your success.