Wipe Out Waste

Wipe Out Waste

How will you choose to reuse?

Australians generate 64 million tonnes of waste each year – which is 2.7 tonnes per person.

As our population grows, so will the amount of waste we generate. By 2050, we could be accumulating a 100 million tonne mountain of waste each year.

Whether it’s saying no to single-use plastic or cutting out takeaway coffee cups, we have a bunch of resources and activities to help you wipe out waste in your office:

By working together to wipe out waste, we can move towards a circular economy and meet our collective goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Let’s get healthy, happy and sustainable together.

Wipe Out Waste resources

Eliminate single use from business events

Eliminate single use from business events

This factsheet provides you with the alternatives to single use items at business events.

Beyond the Bin - Partner list

Beyond the Bin - Partner list

A shortlist of reuse, repurpose and recycling providers to help you think beyond the bin.

Beyond the Bin social media creative

Beyond the Bin social media creative

We've made it easy to promote Beyond the Bin, with these facebook, instagram and linkedin social media files.

Beyond the Bin worksheet for tenants

Beyond the Bin worksheet for tenants

Download the Beyond the Bin worksheet for tenants.

Beyond the Bin worksheet for building managers

Beyond the Bin worksheet for building managers

Download the Beyond the Bin worksheet for building managers.

Beyond the Bin posters

Beyond the Bin posters

Download the Beyond the Bin posters for your office.

Eliminate single use takeaway containers

Eliminate single use takeaway containers

This factsheet can give you the alternative options so that you can eliminate single use takeaway containers from your business.

Eliminate single use takeaway coffee cups

Eliminate single use takeaway coffee cups

This factsheet can give you the alternative options so that you can eliminate single use coffee cups from your business.

Eliminate single use plastic straws

Eliminate single use plastic straws

This factsheet will give you all the resuable and recoverable alternatives to sinlge use plastic straws.

Eliminate single use plastic cups

Eliminate single use plastic cups

This factsheet will help eliminate single use plastic cups from your office.

Eliminate single use plastic bags

Eliminate single use plastic bags

This factsheet provides all the alternatives to help eliminate plastic bags.

Eliminate single use hospitality consumables

Eliminate single use hospitality consumables

This factsheet provides you ways to eliminate single use hospitality and event consumables.

Eliminate sinlge use plastic cultery

Eliminate sinlge use plastic cultery

This factsheet provides alternatives to single use plastic cultery.

Know your waste streams

Know your waste streams

This factsheet helps you to match your choice of single use items with the waste streams available to your customers. 

Beginner's Guide to Coffee Cups

Beginner's Guide to Coffee Cups

More than three billion disposable coffee cups are produced every year in Australia, with the majority ending up in landfill.

Beginner's Guide to Office Waste Management

Beginner's Guide to Office Waste Management

Manage waste using the waste hierarchy: avoidance is most preferable, then re-use, recyclability, recovery, then lastly disposal.

Beginner's Guide to Sustainable Procurement

Beginner's Guide to Sustainable Procurement

Sustainable procurement is the process of reviewing the items and services that your office purchases and selecting ones with lower environmental impact.

Choose.Reuse. waste campaign - digital assets

Choose.Reuse. waste campaign - digital assets

Download a set of digital assets to help you roll out the Choose.Reuse. waste campaign across your organisation.

Choose.Reuse. waste toolkit - print posters

Choose.Reuse. waste toolkit - print posters

Download the Choose.Reuse. waste toolkit posters to help you run an engaging waste campaign in your office.

Coffee cup toolkit - overview and introduction

Read an overview of the Choose.Reuse. campaign with tips on running a successful campaign in your office.

Coffee cup toolkit - project plan and tracking template

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit project plan to help you roll out this campaign in your office.

Coffee cup toolkit - background paper

Discover the theory and social and behavioural models used to develop this toolkit.

Coffee cup toolkit - PowerPoint presentation

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit PowerPoint template for campaign presentations in your office. Example content is included.

Coffee cup toolkit - digital assets

Download the digital display assets for the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit.

Coffee cup toolkit - ceramic cup posters

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit ceramic cup posters for printing and displaying in your office.

Coffee cup toolkit - take away posters

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit take away posters for printing and displaying in your office.

Coffee cup toolkit - digital posters

Download the digital versions of the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit posters for use online.

Coffee cup toolkit - email templates

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit email templates to help rollout the campaign in your office.

Coffee cup toolkit - lift screen creative

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit lift creative to use in your office block.

Coffee cup toolkit - A4 letterhead

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit letterhead to use.

Coffee cup toolkit - sample survey questions

Download Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit suggested questions for establishing the existing habits of your staff.

Coffee Cup toolkit - coaster artwork

Download the Choose.Reuse. coffee cup toolkit coaster artwork for printing and distributing in your office.

Waste signage for your workplace

Here's a suite of signage to help your workplace put materials in the correct bin.

CitySwitch Guide to Office Waste

CitySwitch Guide to Office Waste

Establish the right recycling and waste management system for your workplace with this CitySwitch tool.

Building the case for better waste outcomes

Building the case for better waste outcomes

This webinar will improve your understanding of waste and provide tips for a successful waste management plan.
 

Fifth Estate ebook: Office Waste

Fifth Estate ebook: Office Waste

This ebook is a guide to the best thinking and resources around waste.

Top tips for working paper free

Hear from one City of Sydney green champion about how she approached the challenge of going paper-free in the office including useful apps and other resources.

FluoroCycle

Lamp recycling can help reduce the amount of mercury being sent to landfill. FluoroCycle is a voluntary product stewardship scheme that seeks to increase the national recycling rate of waste mercury-containing lamps.

USA Sustainable Procurement Policies

A collection of ten real Sustainable Procurement Policies from USA state administrations, complied by California's Buy Recycled program. 

Sustainable Procurement of Services Guide (AUS)

Detailed information about the sustainability issues to consider when procuring services, such as financial, best practice performance criteria that can be used in approaches to market and possible contract requirements. Produced by the Australian Government.

Waste Authority WA

The Waste Authority WA provides a wealth of resources and assistance for business owners and operators in WA, including the Australian Waste Database and e-waste disposal advice.

Bin Trim

Bin Trim is an excel tool that helps measure business waste and provides  a profile of your current waste and recycling, tailored action plan to reduce your waste, information to help you waste less and save more.

Mobile muster

It's estimated there are over 23 million unwanted mobiles in homes around Australia, and over 90% of the materials in the phone can be recycled. Mobile muster has been operating since 1998, recycling old mobiles to keep them out of landfill.

Oz Harvest

Oz Harvest rescues excess food and distributes it to charities supporting the vulnerable in Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast. Hospitality and retail businesses can donate food and there is also a workplace giving program for this registered charity.

Do Something! Save Paper

Each year, Australians use over 1.5 million tonnes of printing and writing paper. Planet Ark has created a website providing practical steps to reduce office paper waste, recycle paper, buy recycled paper and go digital.

Waste management tips and tools

Waste management tips and tools

There is a lot that offices can do to reduce waste and recycle office supplies, plus many forms of assistance in all Australian states.

Planet Ark Business Recycling

This site lists recycling options for around 90 different materials, specifically for business including furniture and fitting, electrical equipment, food, lighting, cardboard, plastics and more.

Sustainable Procurement Guide (Australian Government)

Guide for Australian Government purchasers to include sustainability considerations in all stages of the procurement process, from identifying the business need to disposing of goods. Commissioned by the Australian Government and developed by ECO-buy.

Television and Computer Recycling Scheme

The Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Regulations 2011 is the regulation to support national, industry-led recycling scheme for televisions and computers, by the Australian Government. This page hosts guides and information.

Environmental Procurement Policy

Victoria's environmental procurement policy declaration, strategies, and help guides.

End of life

Disposing of old and un-used equipment is an opportunity to continue sustainable management practices.

Choosing green products

Deciding what criteria for selecting products or services will dictate the management systems and the level of sustainability required or desired by your organisation.

Green procurement policy

Procurement policy and guideline documents set out the shared understanding of an organisation's approach to procurement.

Waste management overview

Any comprehensive sustainability action plan must address waste management.

Green procurement overview

Interrogating your procurement practices can save money, improve employee wellbeing, and improve environmental credentials.

Resources

NABERS Essentials - online course

NABERS Essentials - online course

The NABERS Essentials e-Learning course is for anyone who wants to know more about NABERS.



View resource

CitySwitch Signatory of the Year and New Signatory Awards - category judging criteria

  • Delivering outcomes as demonstrated by an improved or maintained current NABERS Energy rating and achieved energy savings* (up to 28 points)
  • Implementing one or more energy saving initiatives (up to 10 points)
  • Demonstrating leadership by undertaking innovative, creative or progressive office energy efficiency activities (up to 10 points)
  • Engagement of staff/ customers/suppliers and/or stakeholders to educate and create market transformation (up to 10 points)
  • Participation in CitySwitch local program activities (up to 10 points).
Note, new Signatories submitting for New Signatory of the Year Award need only complete an indicative rating – all other submissions must be accredited.

CitySwitch Partnership of the Year Award - category judging criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Submitted projects should:

  • Involve more than one registered company 
  • Demonstrate that they are  innovative and over and above “business as usual”
  • Demonstrate that they catalyse “market transformation” and or “address a market barrier”
  • Deliver a reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions within the built environment 

Judging Criteria

  • Delivering outcomes as demonstrated by an improved or maintained current NABERS Energy rating and achieved energy savings* (up to 14 points)
  • Implementing one or more energy saving initiatives (up to 10 points)
  • Demonstrating leadership by undertaking innovative, creative or progressive office energy efficiency activities (up to 17 points)
  • Engagement of staff/ customers/suppliers and/or stakeholders to educate and create market transformation (up to 17 points)
  • Participation in CitySwitch local program activities (up to 10 points)
  • The submitting entity MUST be a CitySwitch Signatory
Note, Signatories submitting for the Partnership of the Year Award may submit an accredited NABERS tenancy, whole building or base building rating.

It’s easy and free to join the program. Your good-will commitment to the program is an acknowledgement of the business sector’s role in
contributing to environmental sustainability and your intention to reduce your own energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

As part of this, Signatories to the program commit to achieve an accredited NABERS Energy tenancy rating (between 4 and 6 stars) and
work with CitySwitch to improve their tenancy’s environmental performance.

Find out more about how obtaining a NABERS Energy rating ensures you can benchmark your performance, better manage your progress
over time and promote your star rating achievement.