Pollution & Waste
Waste diversion statistics for the commercial office portfolio continue to improve. This is largely a reflection of the continuous improvement in waste management practices at a building level aided by effective monitoring and reporting. Initiatives to more effectively divert tenants’ secure document destruction to recycling are also showing results.
It should be noted that we currently cannot place the same degree of confidence in waste statistics as those for energy and water. In order to more accurately monitor and track the various waste streams leaving each building, we have installed weight-scales and bar-coding systems for monitoring every wheelie bin on selected sites. These systems are now undergoing testing with a view to expanding their use across the portfolio.
The charts on this page show the destinations for waste materials leaving our buildings during the year. Our objective is to minimise the proportion that goes to landfill.
‘Commercial & Industrial’ refers to the waste generally emanating from tenant operations.
‘Construction & Demolition’ refers to the waste disposed of by contractors working under our direction (this is often also on behalf of tenants).
Commercial & Industrial
General Waste (Landfill) |
3,159 |
51% |
2,428 |
38% |
3,103 |
32% |
Recycling: |
3,062 |
49% |
3,901 |
62% |
6,590 |
68% |
Secure documents |
156 |
3% |
320 |
5% |
465 |
5% |
Commingled |
932 |
15% |
966 |
15% |
1,138 |
12% |
Recovered general waste |
365 |
6% |
517 |
8% |
883 |
9% |
Food waste |
246 |
4% |
372 |
6% |
518 |
5% |
Glass |
77 |
1% |
75 |
1% |
90 |
1% |
Paper |
805 |
13% |
1,182 |
19% |
2,020 |
21% |
Cardboard |
467 |
8% |
462 |
7% |
1,451 |
15% |
Other recycling |
13 |
0% |
7 |
0% |
25 |
0% |
|
6,221 |
100% |
6,329 |
100% |
9,693 |
100% |
Construction & Demolition
|
Tonnes |
|
Tonnes |
|
General Waste (Landfill) |
273 |
23% |
150 |
33% |
Recycling: |
926 |
77% |
308 |
67% |
Plasterboard |
339 |
28% |
60 |
13% |
Steel / Ferrous metal |
116 |
10% |
18 |
4% |
Timber |
35 |
3% |
1 |
0% |
Concrete/masonry |
25 |
2% |
19 |
4% |
Glass |
95 |
8% |
5 |
1% |
Carpet/underlay |
138 |
12% |
6 |
1% |
Light fittings |
127 |
11% |
1 |
0% |
Paper |
30 |
3% |
0 |
0% |
Other recycling |
20 |
2% |
198 |
43% |
|
1,198 |
100% |
458 |
100% |
We are not able to report accurate construction and demolition waste diversion statistics for our housing construction businesses due to difficulties with contractor reporting. However we are taking steps to improve in this area.
Download Waste Footprint spreadsheet
Case study
Remediation of the Nitrocellulose Burning Ground at the Paramount Industrial Estate
Land Developments acquired a 195ha parcel of land, being the former Orica Southlands, in Deer Park, Victoria in September 2004. The site included an area of 2.4ha being the former Nitrocellulose Burning Ground (NCBG), previously utilised as a settling pond for waste product from the Orica chemical plant to the north.
At that time the land was unsuitable for commercial industrial development as it contained dioxins and furans across the surface of the NCBG that exceeded health-based guidelines for open space. Instances of lead concentrations also exceeded the National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) Health Investigation Levels for industrial use.
Through consultation with Brimbank City Council and the Victorian Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Investa entered into a voluntary environmental audit in accordance with Section 53V of the Environment Protection Act 1970. The 53V audit report identified risks associated with the possible use of soil and groundwater and as a result a remediation action plan (RAP) was developed and implemented for those areas of the site that required remediation prior to development.
As a result of the RAP, approximately 10,000 cubic metres of soil was taken offsite in June 2007 and disposed of at an EPA licensed landfill in Lyndhurst. In order to mitigate OH&S and environmental risks associated with potential remnant soil contamination, it was agreed with the EPA to retain all other soil material onsite and to encapsulate the former NCBG area with cement-treated crushed rock.
Investa could have removed all soil and disposed at licensed landfill, but was unfeasible as it would have cost in excess of $10m and would have gone against EPA guidelines for waste minimisation, i.e. we would be taking soil offsite to be located elsewhere. The EPA has accepted that encapsulating the site to prevent water infusion through the site should significantly reduce any nitrate and sulphate load on the groundwater below.
The lot containing the former NCBG was subsequently contracted for sale in June 2008 and Investa liaised with the purchaser, EPA and Council to obtain a permit to construct a 22,000m2 industrial facility on the site. A site-specific soil and groundwater environmental management plan has been developed for the site.
Monitoring of the onsite and downstream groundwater conditions has been undertaken identifying that the NCBG is a potential secondary source of nitrate and sulphate to the groundwater plume. The Nitrate plume is regional and the potential contribution from the NCBG does not impact on the beneficial use of groundwater. The local creek has Nitrate tolerant species that have evolved over the past four decades.
The auditor recommended groundwater monitoring continue for a period of 5 years to allow for the confirmation of stabilisation or reducing concentrations of nitrate and sulphate associated with the encapsulation of the NCBG and reduced water infiltration through the site.
The 53V audit in August 2008 identified that “The site is considered suitable for the proposed commercial / industrial land use. Risk to beneficial uses of land are considered acceptable based upon the proposed development of the site. Risk to Environment, primarily groundwater, are considered acceptable based upon current understanding of land uses”.
In total Investa has committed in excess of $4m to ensure the successful remediation of the former NCBG enabling development of a quality industrial facility and reducing the risk to human health and of groundwater contamination.
Proposed industrial facility on the former Nitrocellulose Burning Ground (NCBG). Click to enlarge.