Fgfdgdsf                Background The Packaging Stewardship Forum (PSF) of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) partners with organisations that are looking to establish or increase resource recovery and diversion through recycling, litter reduction and waste education programs. The PSF administers funding and material resources to its partners on behalf of its membership which comprise Australia’s largest beverage companies and their packaging suppliers. PSF programs target Australia's major away from home venues as this provides opportunities to promote recycling of beverage packaging that can easily be recycled. This made for an ideal partnership when the University of New South Wales, one of Australia’s largest and most prestigious universities that embarked on a concerted programme to reduce waste to landfill and maximise resource recovery. UNSW is committed to establishing, promoting and maintaining a culture of environmental responsibility, both within the University and in the wider community, and ensure that the University’s negative environmental impact is minimised through staff and students working together to achieve environmental best practice and ecological sustainability. Project Drivers UNSW’s proposed Waste Minimisation Strategy identifies waste avoidance and resource recovery as priorities to meet UNSW’s sustainability objectives. UNSW’s objective was to increase recycling across campus to 80% (decreasing landfill waste to 20%) and to ensure that all recyclable and/or reusable waste is re-used and recycled. The key purpose of the project has been to encourage improved resource recovery by staff, students and visitors to meet these targets. The objective is to advance sustainable management of waste within UNSW and meet community expectations ensuring the university’s long-term environmental sustainability. The strategy has led to a concerted campaign to reduce waste, particularly the amount of waste going to landfill, and to ensure that waste is managed responsibly. This is supported by sections of the university community who have demonstrated an interest in public place recycling. The PSF was identified as an organisation that may be able to provide funding and resources to assist UNSW to deliver a PPR program to assist in meeting the defined target. Many Australian higher education institutions have taken on sustainability both in their operations and education, and as a result many are working independently and collaboratively to improve their sustainability. The UNSW PPR project has proactively improved the sustainability of its operations through the installation of 30 PPR bin stations. This has also provided a tangible contribution for all students, staff and visitors to the main campus. Project catalyst Prior to 2012 UNSW had a waste contract which did not facilitate resource recovery and provided little data to inform decision-­‐making. Although there were recycling schemes for some waste streams, e.g. paper and cardboard which worked well, it

Public place recycling Case Study: UNSW and Product Stewardship Forum partnership

was recognised that for untapped waste streams such as mixed container recycling the opportunity to tender for a waste services contractor in 2011 had potential to provide increased recovery and diversion. This could capture additional recyclable material and dramatically improve the sustainability performance of waste management at the University. To inform planning processes, UNSW first engaged a waste consultant (APrince Consulting) to undertake a waste audit. This provided a much better understanding of the composition of the waste stream and highlighted recycling opportunities particularly for beverage packaging. A campus landscape study was also undertaken to identify placement and implementation of a public place recycling system on the main UNSW campus. The tender process was conducted purposefully to encourage service providers to identify the ways in which they could boost UNSW sustainability performance in a cost-­‐effective manner, and to specifically identify opportunities to provide innovative, valued-­‐added solutions. Tenderers were asked to provide options for waste streams including general waste, paper and cardboard, commingled recyclables, green waste, hard waste and food waste. Electronic waste (e-­‐waste) was dealt with under the existing IT contract. The successful tenderer was awarded the contract for various reasons, including the provision of off-site Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) processing for mixed containers. This provided the initiative to install (PPR) bin stations to complement at home recycling practice. The UNSW PPR project was supported by the PSF through funding bin infrastructure and providing educational materials including bin stickers, posters and art work for a vendor based food waste trial. PSF Support The PSF was pleased to partner with UNSW as the project complemented its major objective of resource recovery through the beverage packaging stream. The PSF provided guidance and funding for 30 pairs of recycling and general waste bin enclosures, posters, stickers and marketing advice and included:

• access to the Do the Right Thing Use The Right Bin signage • funding of $35,000 staged over the project implementation • assistance in determining the appropriate bin number and location of

associated Do the Right Thing, Use The Right Bin signage • assistance in communication & marketing of the project’s success • advice from the waste and recycling industry to establish appropriate

collection infrastructure and systems for PET bottles, glass and aluminium cans

• support to PPR education and communication campaigns relating to the initiative for visitors and staff; and

• collaboration with the university on project planning and implementation including establishment of agreed milestones.

UNSW Commitment UNSW is committed to achieving the targets identified in the Waste Minimisation Strategy. The PSF support has helped achieve an increase in the recycling rate at UNSW and bring the recycling at home bin system to the public place at UNSW. UNSW has demonstrated its commitment to the recycling initiative by:

• visible support for the project by UNSW senior management including academic, administrative and contractual staff;

• establishment of base line waste data through the physical waste audit; • allocation of resources to identify the most suitable infrastructure and

educational material with assistance from the PSF; • development of a communications plan (with PSF support) to inform, visitors,

cleaners and waste contractors, of the initiative and expected participation; • installation of PPR bin infrastructure and signage and reinforcement of

communication to staff, students and cleaners with through a soft launch/announcement;

• engagement of a waste contractor who is able to provide a recyclables collection service and provide monthly reports on waste recycled by weight, volume and material category;

• inclusion on an ongoing basis of stakeholders including campus vendors, cleaners and waste contractors on PPR collection requirements;

• ongoing consultation with PSF in relation to media activity associated with the project, including a joint media release and senior management actively promoting the PPR system and outcomes of the project;

• regular reporting to the PSF and stakeholders on the volumes of recyclables collected and % contamination;

• conducting the formal launch, Waste Not Want Not forum on 31 May 2102 with the executive staff and a media release, promoting bins and congratulating stakeholders on collaboration;

• establishment of a budget allocation for ongoing costs for infrastructure, recyclable collections and a monitoring programme; and

• implementation of a food waste/packaging trial to foster back of house vendor recycling.

Communications The PPR awareness program has targeted UNSW students, employees including academic and professional staff and UNSW stakeholders such food vendors, other retail outlets and contractors, e.g. cleaning staff, grounds and construction staff. Results have been communicated through various media. This includes conducting the Waste Not Want Not forum on 31 May 2012, postings on the sustainability page of the UNSW website, articles published on the news@unsw web page, as a news item for Uniken and ARC publications and through tours of the waste contractor’s MRF. Results are also discussed through integration of the PPR incentive into teaching and learning at the university as a case study in post graduate environmental management programs and solid waste management courses. UNSW continues to explore opportunities to integrate the program with undergraduate research projects. Further communications will be ongoing with staff students and stakeholders via UNSW media and the UNSW website as opportunities arise and recycling results are updated. As identified in the Interim Waste Minimisation Strategy, UNSW expects to produce a Final Draft Waste Strategy in late 2013. Up until this time UNSW will be working with stakeholders and the UNSW community in the development the final Strategy. There will also be further opportunity for the UNSW community to review and comment on the Final Draft Waste Strategy of which the PPR is a major component, in 2012/13. Key Outcomes A total of 756.6 tonnes of waste has been generated at UNSW since installation of the recycling stations of which 10% is recovered mixed beverage containers. This waste would have been previously disposed to landfill. The PPR compliments the current waste services contract by providing at home recycling practice in an away from home situation, consistent with PSF objectives.

Projected over a twelve month period it is estimated that 152.2 tonnes of mix container will be recycled as a result of the PSF/UNSW collaboration. The table below show results to from January - August 2012.

   Community and organisational feedback The UNSW community has responded favourably to the PPR programme. Vendors are also enthusiastic about the potential environmental gains that can be achieved through recycling. Generally the community is passionate about sustainability and sees the connection to waste avoidance and recycling as part of environmental responsibility. The PPR system has been designed and configured to promote at home recycling practice through recognition of the domestic system in the public place. A follow-up physical waste audit and waste behaviour survey will confirm the UNSW community’s acceptance and the programme and its operational success. Recommendations UNSW has had a positive experience collaborating with the PSF to help achieve its sustainability objectives in relation to packaging waste and recycling. UNSW recommends contacting the PSF for guidance to all public venues who strive to optimise sustainability outcomes and demonstrate environmental responsibility in the community at large. Key recommendations are:

• the use of specific and accurate data to inform decisions on any systems to be implemented with clearly defined targets and objectives.

• communication with stakeholders in the design, application and implementation process taking into account realistic timeframes and budget allocations.

• Identification of critical milestones, time frames and responsibilities pre project implementation, and during the implementation phase of the project.

• project implementation must be followed with ongoing monitoring to ensure system effectiveness in meeting identified objects and targets; and

• results must be recorded, analysed and communicated.

Next Steps - the Future Subject to funding and review of the PPR system on the main UNSW campus the PPR programme along with other recovery initiatives have potential to be rolled out to other major campuses such as the Western campus, College of Fine Arts and the Australia Defence Force Academy. This has potential to increase resource recovery at UNSW and involve further collaboration with the PSF. UNSW will continue to develop waste management programmes and monitor recovery. To assess the effectiveness of the our current PPR placement and operation UNSW intend to conduct a follow up physical waste audit to analyise compositional data and develop a visual survey of correct bin usage. This will include development of a questionnaire to ascertain waste behaviors, awareness, and attitude of the UNSW community including other UNSW campuses with a view to rolling out the PPR programme. UNSW is also interested is assessing its suppliers in terms of their commitments to sustainability through waste avoidance, resource recovery and environmental accounting. This has potential to lead to partnerships with preferred suppliers based on supply chain environmental values. Contacts Sabina Wills- Program Manager Higher Education Packaging Stewardship Forum of the Australian Food and Grocery Council trish.mcgee@afgc.org.au Ph.: +61 (0) 439 134 896 Aaron Magner – Sustainability Director University of New South Wales a.magner@unsw.edu.au Ph: +61 (2) 9385 1038