Melbourne Hotel (savings in the city)

Work with this hotel comprised of the following:

Audit and Analysis

The waste audit was conducted over a two-week period and involved physically inspecting the waste and recycling generated at the Hotel. From the audit we were able to determine the amount of recyclable material in the general waste stream and the potential for recovering a portion of this material for recycling.

In conjunction with the audit, staff from each of the hotel’s departments were observed and interviewed regarding their waste management and recycling practices. During this process, input was sought from staff on the impacts of possible changes to the current system.

The hotel’s waste charges were analysed to determine likely savings, based on the ability to reduce waste sent to landfill by increasing the amount of recyclable material collected, results previously achieved at hotels of similar size and type, and GFA’s ability to negotiate reduced pricing for clients through knowledge of the local waste management industry. 
The key findings of the resultant report were:

1. The hotel’s recycling program was not operating at peak efficiency, with 30% of waste to landfill consisting of recyclable materials that were not being properly separated;
2. The hotel’s staff and management were generally supportive of improvements to existing recycling and waste management systems, as long as all staff received proper training and there were clear guidelines, monitoring, and feedback to keep the programs on track.
3. Waste management costs could be reduced by 30-40 percent, based on reducing the volume of landfill waste through increasing the amount of paper, cardboard, and other recyclable materials collected.

Program Implementation


Implementing the recommended programs involved the following activities, performed over 2 weeks:

• Educating all hotel staff in the operation of the new waste management and recycling systems, and supplying them with additional containers and new recycling signage where required to facilitate waste separation and recycling; and
• Negotiating new operational and financial arrangements for removal of general waste and recyclable materials; and
• Setting up monitoring systems to measure and report on environmental performance on an ongoing basis.

Outcomes


Following implementation of these measures, the property was re-audited to determine waste volumes based on increased diversion of recyclable materials from the waste stream. 
The following specific results were achieved:

1. An overall reduction of 30 percent in the amount of waste sent to landfill, enabling the property to reduce waste disposal costs by $6,500 per annum;
2. Annual diversion of over 100 tonnes of material from landfill, leading to significant environmental benefits in terms of energy, water, and greenhouse gas conservation; and
3. A high level of employee involvement in the programs, which led to a series of other environmental initiatives being implemented at the property as a result of increased participation by staff.

Great Forest Australia’s consulting fees for this project were based on a shared savings arrangement of 50% of savings over 24 months, meaning that the hotel incurred no material and operating costs for the work detailed above.