HO waste recycling ahead of national targets
The National Waste Prevention Programme has set 2013 as the year when 50% of household and commercial waste will be recyclable. However, in the Head Office Fitzwilliam Complex, Property and Facilities Management (PFM), Shared Services has already achieved this target-seven years ahead of schedule. Colm Brophy, Facilities Manager, PFM, explains how they have done it.
"We currently recycle approximately 50% of all waste generated, by recycling large volumes of waste materials such as cans, bottles, cardboard, timber and metal, as well as paper waste generated in the Billing Process." This is part of an Integrated Waste Management Strategy, which follows an environmentally-sound 'waste hierarchy'.
The key message is 'Minimise, Reuse and Recycle'. The least favourable option is the traditional landfill or dump option, and recovery of energy through 'biomass' is not yet a viable choice nationally. The challenge to all businesses, including ESB, is to get support from everyone, and to keep them interested in the effort.
"I am aware from feedback from the various partnership forums in Head Office that staff are anxious to increase the levels of waste recycled and in particular to commence recycling of the general waste produced in the offices," Colm states.
PFM are building on this goodwill and are introducing a new initiative, the 'Office Recycling Programme', to segregate and recycle general office waste in the Fitzwilliam complex. Nearly 70 recycling centres have been located around the building, in common areas at or near lift lobbies. Each centre has three large colour-coded bins for Paper (Blue), Plastic Drink Bottles and Aluminium Cans (Green) and General Waste (Grey).
Collection Points for printer cartridges and used batteries are located at the lower ground lift lobbies in all Fitzwilliam blocks. Recycling desktop trays have been issued to all staff to assist them when segregating office waste generated into the various waste streams, prior to disposal in the recycling centres.
PFM have appointed Greenstar as their Waste Management Contractor. Greenstar will have a full-time operative on-site to ensure that the bins in the recycling centres are emptied on a regular basis, and will arrange for the waste materials to be transferred to their recycling centres in Tallaght and Bray.
Colm Brophy expects that staff will adjust to the new arrangements quickly. "While staff are getting used to this new system, we will continue to provide the existing desk waste paper bins in the shortterm. When staff have adapted to the new arrangements, we can hopefully withdraw these bins altogether."
PFM, Shared Services intend to roll out a similar waste management initiative in Clanwilliam/Osprey and Merrion Square by the end of March, and staff in Stephen Court are already actively supporting the drive to increase recycling in their offices.
Colm regards the new 'Office Recycling Programme' as an example of good corporate citizenship. "I would ask all staff to support this initiative as a means to allow us all to play our part in minimising the volumes of un-segregated waste going to Landfill sites. In this way, we are helping to protect the environment for succeeding generations."
