Waste management and reduction guide for retail industry

12Social benefitsMinimising waste is an ideal wayto reinforce existing communityattitudes and current environmentalawareness and education programs,particularly in local government andthe education system.Market research consistentlyshows that concern for theenvironment rates highly within thecommunity. Waste minimisation andmanagement programs are seen bymany as an ideal opportunity to dosomething for the environment.Waste minimisation and managementprograms can therefore create goodwillwithin the community, and thusopportunities for centres and retailersto promote their ‘green image’.The community’s awareness of thenatural and built environment canbe raised by involving them in aprogram they perceive as helpingthe environment. It could be assimple as this: a campaign to involvecustomers in a shopping centre’srecycling program could mean lesslittering in and around the centre- and a lower cleaning budget forthe centre.Materials recovery and treatmentcan be labour intensive, so theintroduction of a waste minimisationand management program has thepotential to create employment atthe local level. As the retail industrydevelops programs to complywith legislation, such as EPA’sWater Quality Policy for stormwaterpollution prevention, it cantake advantage of the idealopportunities to further relationshipswith the local council and StateGovernment agencies.Environmental benefitsMinimising waste conservesresources.Conserving resources not onlyreduces waste; it can reducepollution. As industry consumesfewer raw materials, it uses lessfossil fuel and less pollution isthe result.At present most solid waste ends upin landfill. Specific risks associatedwith landfill sites are now betterunderstood. An effective wasteminimisation and managementprogram can take a proactiveapproach to lessening shoppingcentres’ impact on the environment.Section 2.Benefits of wasteminimisationsystems