Published on: Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd. implemented their Zero Waste Program in fall of 2010 at the Vancouver Properties (Pacific Centre, HSBC Building, and the Waterfront Properties), after an eight month pilot project. The program filters waste into three main streams and diverts 100% of waste generated onsite away from landfills. Partnering with office and retail tenants, Cadillac Fairview is working to increase recycling and organic composting at the Vancouver Properties through education, training, and awareness campaigns. The process of administering the Zero Waste program requires ongoing tenant commitment, which is necessary to maintain a high level of diversion and tenant engagement.  Overall, Cadillac Fairview is finding the value that is added to its tenants and the environment to be worth the effort.

The program was implemented with the help of waste service provider, Wasteless Environmental. Wasteless Environmental and Cadillac Fairview looked at the existing recycling program that was in place and conducted a waste audit of the facilities. After reviewing the disposal facilities and equipment, as well as the waste coming out of the tenant spaces, a number of recommendations were made to ensure the success of the Zero Waste Program. The results of the audit showed that the waste being produced at Cadillac Fairview's Vancouver Properties was largely contaminated with organic material, as well as high volumes of mixed paper.  The majority of the paper discovered was office paper, which indicated that there was a need for paper recycling training and more desk-side recycling receptacles. They also identified that the loading dock facilities available were limited and constrained by the existing setup.  This meant that if we were to expand our recycling program to include an Organics recovery program, the waste pickups would have to be scheduled in such a way so that waste was not accumulating.

In January of 2010, a group of office and retail tenants were used to pilot the Zero Waste Program. The pilot program included three main streams of waste: Organics, which would be composted at an offsite facility; Recycling, which would be sorted offsite and recycled appropriately; and Non-Recyclables, which instead of going to landfill, would be sent to a Waste-to-Energy facility in Burnaby, which incinerates waste as a means to generate electrical energy and steam.

Each retail tenant was given an Organics bin and a Recycling bin, based on the common waste items that they generate every day.  Office tenants on the other hand were given a full set of bins for the three streams - Organics, Recyling and Non-Recyclables, as well as desk-side paper recycling bins. Each of the bins had pictorial and written signage that indicated the types of materials appropriate for each waste stream.

At our loading dock, a caged in area for Organics material was created.  It was arranged that the Organics material would be picked up daily to reduce smell and chances of pest problems. Recycling facilities dedicated to soft plastic recycling, batteries, electronics, and miscellaneous items were created in addition to our existing cardboard compactor and garbage collection areas.

As a result of the positive feedback and impact of the pilot program, the Zero Waste Program was branded under Cadillac Fairview's national sustainability program - GREEN AT WORK™. In September of 2010, the program was expanded to the rest of Pacific Centre & HSBC Building, as well as the Waterfront Properties. After a year of full implementation, the diversion from landfill is over 98.5% - allowing for a small percentage of ash waste that is required to be sent to landfill, as a result of the residual material that is left over from the incineration process at the Waste-to-Energy Facility*.

The ongoing efforts of the program now turn to reducing the amount of material that ends up in Non-Recyclables stream and reducing the amount of contamination in the Organics stream. In order to accomplish this, we look to our tenants and a comprehensive engagement strategy.  A Tenant Engagement team, called the GREEN AT WORK™ Tenant Engagement Team, was re-invented in January 2010 to encompass all aspects of sustainability. A major part of the program was focused on educating our tenants about the Zero Waste program. The GREEN AT WORK™ Tenant Engagement Team invited tenants to attend several seminars on recycling and the Zero Waste Program. In addition to the team sessions, tenants are encouraged to request custom lunch and learn sessions for their workplace provided by Cadillac Fairview.

Tenants also have access to an online Zero Waste store that allows them to purchase signage or customized waste disposal bins to better suite their workplace.  Cadillac Fairview's marketing coordinator also created a series of "Zero Waste 101" posters, which clarify questionable items or items that were commonly being placed in the wrong stream.  For our retail tenants, a customized training session on the Zero Waste program was provided and in November of 2011, an expanded recycling program with new recycling facilities was provided for all retail tenants of Pacific Centre. 

The Zero Waste program puts Cadillac Fairview at the leading edge when it comes to waste disposal. They are not only ahead amongst their peers, but are already meeting, if not exceeding, upcoming requirements to be put forth by the City of Vancouver.  By increasing the diversion from landfill and maximizing materials that can be re-processed into new products and materials, Cadillac Fairview is decreasing its environmental footprint. With several upcoming buildings touting a LEED certification goal and the highest environmental performance, Cadillac Fairview solidifies its own commitment to environmental performance with its Zero Waste program.

*The Waste-to-Energy Facility (WTEF) is responsible for the environmentally safe disposal of non-recyclable garbage into steam and electricity. The steam is sold to a paper recycling facility, while the electricity is sold to BC Hydro. Strict environmental monitoring confirms that the WTEF is one of the cleanest facilities of its kind. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) recognizes it as one of the best facilities on the continent.