CSR fact sheet - ExCeL London

CSR fact sheet
On-site MRF allows
86% recycling rate
In 2012, ExCeL London achieved a 86% recycling rate, through the use
of its own onsite material recovery facility (MRF) and its waste contractor’s
MRF and MBT, Biffa is tasked with responsibly disposing our waste through
recycling and an energy from waste (EfW) facility. ExCeL London also diverts all
of its food waste and certain types of paper through its on-site wormery,
holding over 300,000 worms, the largest in the UK. The wormery reduces the
number of waste collections required and produces a valuable soil additive.
Large-scale measures needed to handle
over 2000 tonnes of waste a year
Such measures are needed because the events hosted by ExCeL London attract thousands of people over a relatively short period of time
and produce vast quantities of waste that needs to be processed and removed from the venue on a daily basis. Listed below is a profile of
the main waste streams measured during 2012. ExCeL London has been host to many large scale successful events over the past, most
recently the London 2012 Olympics Games, when the venue staged a total of 143 sessions across 13 Olympic and Paralympic sports,
making it the most used venue outside of the Olympic Park. ExCeL London used its 100,000 m2 to create five Olympic arenas with
capacities ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 people.
1764.96
MIXED RECYCLING
(Paper, Plastics, Cardboard, wood, event literature)
The venue has faced numerous challenges in tackling its waste management from encouraging visitors to separate their waste into
the correct recycling bins so that contamination is kept to a minimum, to asking suppliers to complete questionnaires detailing their
products’ sustainability credentials. The issue of contamination was addressed through the use of clearly labelled and colour-coded
recycling bins. Since their introduction throughout ExCeL London, visitors have found it easier to dispose of their waste correctly.
Having achieved a with a recycling rate of 86% in 2012, ExCeL London’s event organisers are now placing the responsibility on
exhibitors to design stands with recyclable materials and reduce the amount of literature handed out to visitors. After every event,
the venue’s facilities team is tasked with clearing the exhibition hall of display stands, visitor literature, recycling and general waste bins and
carpet. With ExCeL London having a high occupancy rate of 53% in 2012 and with carpet being removed from the exhibition centre
in such large quantities, every event is now supplied with recyclable carpet.
ExCeL London holds recycling and sustainability as part of its core values and has incorporated these into its overall company
objectives. These core values are passed onto all new staff with induction sessions used to cover recycling and waste management
to further educate staff on the correct use of recycling bins and new initiatives. Staff are updated on sustainability issues
and receive further education on recycling through monthly company meetings.
CSR Fact Sheet
285.66
LANDFILL

Energy - the ExCeL way
As ExCeL London stages large scale events throughout the year, energy
consumption is a major cost for the venue. With 13 individual sporting
events of the London 2012 Olympic Games being held at ExCeL London,
electricity and gas consumption were at a record high, along with visitor
numbers. Before and after the event, several energy saving measures were
considered and tested to identify potential areas where cost and energy
could be saved.
For example, biomass boilers were ruled out as a way of heating the building
due to storage and transportation issues. As water from the nearby dock
remains at a constant 4 0 c in high temperatures, it was considered for use
in the building’s cooling system.
LEDs cut centre’s lighting
energyuse by 74%
LED lighting proved to be the most promising of the energy technologies investigated by
ExCeL London. It was first tested and installed throughout the half mile central visitor walkway
located inside the main building. Further installations were then carried out along the dock side
of the venue, all lorry transportation routes and the main entrance to the venue. The LED lights
were installed with automatic switch off and dimmer controls to ensure areas are only lit
when necessary. In total, these measures delivered a 74% energy saving and are
regarded in the lighting industry as an exemplar installation, receiving several awards.
Water consumption has also been addressed by ExCeL London with the use of
waterless urinals and the reduction of the venue’s water tank capacity to improve
water flow, as less water was being used.
automatic
switch off &
dimmer controls
to ensure areas are
only lit when necessary
Looking to the future...
ExCeL London aims to continually ensure its procurement of products and services are sourced sustainably and that its
suppliers work with it to reduce the venue’s waste and carbon footprint.
Osman Deen, Cleaning Manager, ExCeL London said:
For the past five years we have invested in a number of initiatives
and machinery, such as balers for our onsite recycling centre,
trailers to collect cardboard, paper and plastics from the hall and
Europe’s largest commercial wormery for our vegetable waste.
This has been hugely successful in reaching our recycling target of 86%
and thereby reducing waste to landfill. However, our target for 2013 and
beyond is to achieve zero waste to landfill. Combining our onsite efforts
with our new waste contractor, BIFFA, we have so far managed to
accomplish this.
CSR Fact Sheet