It’s pats on the back all round for staff at Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s head office after it was awarded a five-star rating for internal waste management.
The rating was awarded by the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) following a 10-day waste audit in November last year at its Carlton office.
It found the total waste discarded by occupant per year was 32kgs and the percentage of total waste by weight that was recycled was 86.8 per cent.
The average recycling rate for a Victorian business is 66 per cent, according to a Sustainability Victoria’s Towards Zero Waste Progress Report 2010-11.
NABERS is a national rating system that measures the environmental performance of Australian buildings and tenancies. NABERS measures the energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality of a tenancy and its impact on the environment.
There are currently two organisations in Australia that have achieved five-star NABERS waste ratings, the highest possible rating for this category.
EPA CEO Nial Finegan said the organisation was committed to continuously improving environmental performance across its offices and field-based operations.
“As a leading environmental regulator, EPA is always looking for ways to reduce the amount of waste it generates,” he said.
“Increasing our waste audits and initiatives such as including updating internal signage aimed at reducing waste and increasing the recycling of organics at head office have all contributed to our improved performance.”
EPA has also achieved a 5.5 star (out of six) rating for energy for its Carlton office, and holds the coveted honour of having the highest energy rating of any Victoria Government Department or Agency.
Sam McLean, the Program Manager of NABERS said, “By achieving a five-star NABERS waste rating for their tenancy, EPA Victoria is adding to their already strong credentials as a national environmental leader.”
“By taking a holistic approach to sustainability, and making their efforts highly visible using NABERS, organisations like EPA Victoria will encourage others to improve their practices and processes.” She said.
“Actions like these are exactly what we need to start a market transformation in waste efficiency that is similar to the one we’ve witnessed for energy efficiency over the past decade.”