Facilities Management Journal - Helping to tackle shopping centre waste this Christmas

Published - Friday, 30 September, 2011

Managing waste in an office or domestic environment is an important activity. However, within larger retail environments, waste management presents a tremendous challenge and can threaten both logistics and operations if not run successfully.  

Joanna Hall, centre manager at Riverside shopping centre in Hemel Hempstead has been discussing the importance of waste management at her site with the Facilities Manager Journal. She notes that around 30% of annual waste is typically generated in the weeks leading up to December 25^th.

Cawleys and its national environmental consultancy arm, Wastesolve, understand the unique way in which retail waste management relies on private contractors to provide a great service and maintain a clean environment for members of the public to enjoy. It was therefore well placed to help the centre and has played a key role in training staff how to manage their waste and ensure the site is well maintained. Wastesolve now helps the centre to dispose of its food waste through Anaerobic Digestion and more waste is diverted away from landfill.

Cawleys appealed to Riverside due to their Materials Recycling Facility or MRF. Due to this Joanna is now confident that the centre will be able to achieve the greatest recycling rates possible. Joanna was also left assured by Wastesolve’s ability to forge a successful commercial working relationship with Waitrose when collecting their food waste.

Wastesolve have helped train centre employees involved behind the scenes in ‘back end’ waste management. They are now trained to maintain strong levels of communication with contractors, guaranteeing that premium levels of service are maintained. Cawleys have highlighted the importance of day-to-day communication among employees in delivering the best results and Joanna is now acutely aware that it is this which singles out waste management in a retail environment most of all.

Facilities Management Journal, September 2011. Written by Joanna Hall