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Brightwater Commons Effectively Managing Its Waste
By: Eamonn Ryan - Business Report February 2009
Retail property developer, Fountainhead Property Trust (FPT), the owners of The Brightwater Commons in Johannesburg, has committed itself to “retrofitting green” and managing waste effectively at the Commons.
FPT, with partners OrganiCarbon and A-Z Philosophy, is plotting a way forward that may be replicated in time by other retail developments. “Corporate properties, like Brightwater Commons, are major consumers of water resources, generate substantial amounts of waste and produce high levels of CO2 emissions. We have therefore targeted these areas in support of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) statements and implementation of immediate sustainable development objectives,” says Trevor Matthews, the Retail Portfolio Manager of Fountainhead.
OrganiCarbon’s CEO, Karen Van Helsdingen says: “During our CO2 assessment of Brightwater it was found that an additional CO2 footprint was created with the transport of un-compacted waste from one of the major tenants to the nearest waste collection point in the centre. By installing a closer waste collection point the CO2 footprint has been reduced by as much as a 50%” To encourage a habit of recycling and waste management, not only amongst the centre’s tenants, but also residents in the area, A-Z Philosophy implemented “The Green solution to your lifestyle blues” programme. Over 700 residents participated and nearly 50 000kg of recyclable waste was deposited at the Commons from October to December 2008.
The centre was found to use about 100,000,000 litres of water annually. By installing a water reticulation and a water storage system, to harness run off, rain water and river system backwash water back into the irrigation system, substantial savings could be made both benefitting the environment and the centre’s bottom line. “While implementing the system cost a substantial amount it will create a massive saving in water consumption estimated at about 48 764kl of water each year. Depending on rain fall the saving for Brightwater Commons could be over R500 000.00/year and will definitely realize a return on investment in year one,” says Van Helsdingen.
Clive Saunders, Operations Manager for Brightwater Commons says that although Brightwater Commons has evolved from being a water front entertainment destination to a shopping centre with open spaces and an environmental feel, water is still an integral part of its make-up”. “The above project was thus essential to the centre’s sustainability allowing us to preserve and utilise our water resources to the best of our ability,” he says.
