Sydney Markets Takes Out Global Award For Recycling Program

Receives the ‘Best Renewable Resources: Recycling’ Award at the World CSR Congress

Sydney Markets Limited announced recently that it has received a ‘Best Renewable Resources: Recycling’ award at the Global Sustainability Leadership Conference and Awards held in Mumbai, India.

Sydney Markets was shortlisted as the winner from over 2,500 international entries received for the award. The award recognised Sydney Markets for its innovation and commitment to sustainable business practices, closing the loop and reducing its environmental footprint through waste management, recycling, water and energy savings.

The award was presented to John Pearson, Chairman, Brad Latham, CEO and Con Kapellos, Environment Manager of Sydney Markets at the Global Sustainability Leadership Conference and Awards, a part of the World Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Congress.

John Pearson, Chairman of Sydney Markets said, “The Sydney Markets Board is delighted to be receiving this award. This confirms our commitment to the environment initiatives we had strategically established several years ago.”

Brad Latham, CEO of Sydney Markets said, “Sydney Markets is the largest distribution centre in the Southern Hemisphere and we are committed to reducing, reusing and recycling as our core environmental management philosophy.”

“Sydney Markets is delighted to be recognised with this award on the global stage at the World CSR Congress. This award validates our efforts to continuously improve by adopting initiatives that create more sustainable operations in partnership with our tenants, employees and partners.”

Sydney Markets has invested resources and equipment in its recycling program which has reduced its waste disposal costs by over A$7 million since 2005.  It generates 20,000 tonnes of waste per annum and has increased its resource recovery rate from 17 percent in 2005 to 65 percent in 2013 by implementing a number of initiatives including:

• A Green Point Facility that operates daily to allow tenants to deliver waste to be sorted, separated and diverted into eight waste streams including organic, cardboard/paper, timber, steel, plastic, polystyrene, steel and concrete.
• Working with Veolia Environmental Services to collect and transport waste streams with the aim of diverting majority of the organic waste produced. Over 4,000 tonnes of organic waste is processed each year by EarthPower Technologies using anaerobic digestion technology to convert solid and liquid wastes using bacteria into a biogas and a sludge that is dried to produce a high nutrient organic fertiliser.
• The onsite recycling of polystyrene using a machine at Sydney Markets Flemington that has resulted in over 50 tonnes per annum of polystyrene or the equivalent of over 200,000 boxes being recycled.
• The daily collection and recycling of plastic film in excess of 30 tonnes per annum.
• The reusing and recycling of timber pallets with damaged pallets being shredded and turned into garden mulch. About 1,156 tonnes of timber pallets were recycled in 2013.

Reducing paper consumption by 30 percent since 2011 with the introduction of electronic invoicing to tenants, sending information by email and staff education.
Working with Planet Ark to recycle over 120 kilograms of printer cartridges and old mobile phones in 2013.

Recent initiatives have been put in place to collect fluorescent tubes, light bulbs, batteries and e-waste. Water recycling plans will be incorporated in Sydney Markets’ environmental management plans in the near future.

In addition, Sydney Markets has introduced energy and water efficiency measures including:

The introduction of energy efficiency lighting and sensor controlled light fittings which have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 6,000 tonnes to date.
Smart water meters, using a rainwater tank and the retrofitting of public toilets to reduce water consumption. These measures have reduced water consumption by 22 percent in 2013 when compared to 2011.

The World CSR Congress was attended by over 1,000 participants and the event acknowledges excellence in the fields of Social Innovation, Global Sustainability and Corporate Affairs.  As part of the Congress, the Global Sustainability Leadership Awards calls out business exemplars with outstanding achievements in economic, environmental and social dimensions.   Further information about the award is available here: http://www.worldcsrcongress.com/sustainability.html