Inspiring CitySwitch champions pave the way to a greener, brighter future

Based in North Sydney, the waste reduction and sustainability consulting firm is recognised for its comprehensive action plan to reduce waste in their office in 2023. Its office is occupied by around 12 employees each day. They’ve managed to reduce their waste to landfill to less than a 40L bag per week. The team conducts regular visual waste assessments to understand their waste streams and recycling rates. They identified single-use plastics and coffee cups as problem areas.

An educational program began to encourage the use of reusable items. EC Sustainable's sustainable procurement policy also includes terms on avoidance and reuse to minimise the production of waste. EC Sustainable's team goes the extra mile to recycle: it has introduced the container deposit scheme as well as battery, mobile and toner recycling. They even drop off shredded paper to the local pet store!

Children’s charity, Barnardos, began its waste reduction mission with a lunch and learn for employees.

The session covered the impact of waste on the environment, pain points for individuals and actionable steps. A key aim was to quash rumours that individual actions lack impact. The team tied waste avoidance to the organisation’s work – a brighter, sustainable future for children.

Barnados introduced an incentivised waste champion program. It also removed individual desk bins, used posters and digital communications to prompt the use of reusable coffee cups and shopping bags, and introduced Return and Earn bins.

CitySwitch bin signs and the recycling resources list support their work. It plans to monitor landfill and recycling rates and run regular information sessions for employees to keep up the good work.

Management consultant firm Nous took the CitySwitch visual waste assessment global. The tool was used in its offices across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, Canberra, London and Toronto. The reports were used to support its carbon accounting. Building managers across all locations were informed of the results.

Cross-sector teams brainstormed solutions to problem waste items. The resulting ideas were turned into individual waste action plans for each office.

Actions introduced:

• new signs
• buying snacks in bulk to reduce plastic waste
• promoting targets and reporting achievements
• creating dedicated spaces for reusable coffee cups – now handy and often used by teams on coffee runs.

Nous has also looked into its supply chain. It’s assessing catering companies based on their waste policies. Being tenants, Nous has informed its building managers about additional waste streams.

EML is a large insurance company with 13 offices around Australia. Managing and reducing waste across all offices requires considerable documentation – detailing allowances and contaminants for each recycling stream.

It chose to focus on running a more comprehensive program in its main offices in Sydney, Parramatta, Newcastle, Melbourne, and Adelaide.

A 6-month continuous improvement program includes:

1. routine, detailed waste audits in each major office
2. analysis of the audits to identify key areas for improvement
3. targeted staff awareness campaigns
4. mandatory recycling training as part of yearly compliance for all staff.

Named Recycle Right, the fun and interactive recycling training is bespoke to EML and each office. Program contents have been validated by building management, cleaners,and waste contractors to ensure accuracy.

The results are positive. EML’s 5-floor George Street, Sydney office increased its recycling rate from 19% to 31% across 2023.

Gilbert + Tobin (G+T) has offices across Australia in buildings with strong environmental commitments.

The buildings issue monthly reports detailing waste-to-landfill and recycling rates. These results are monitored and employee communications are adjusted in response.

To combat waste contamination, each office runs regular campaigns to educate employees about how to dispose of waste in the correct waste stream. The team has even trialled using AI to reduce waste in G+Ts Sydney cafe through the Everyday Zero CoPilot. The CopPilot used a gamified approach to educate G+T employees on waste disposal. 

To reduce coffee cup waste, the café in the Sydney office also serves all coffees in reusable Huskee cups.

G+T participated in Plastic Free July in 2023 and ran a waste quiz with questions that were tailored to the main contamination issues identified by building management. All quiz participants went into a draw to win a prize.

These 2 sister companies share a working space in Brunswick, Melbourne. The organisations have covered off 2 easy ways to reduce their waste:

• Reusable coffee cups provided in a handy spot by the door
• Transitioned to a paperless office.

The office achieves high recycling rates through source separation on site. It has an organics stream, a container deposit scheme bin and collection for electronic waste and soft plastics. It also found solutions to tricky items, such as blister packs, which are dropped off at collection points.

Epson Australia has adopted a ground-up approach to reduce its waste. It emphasises active employee participation and small, continuous improvements.

• Its Rubbish or Recycling challenge during National Recycling Week educates employees on correct waste sorting practices.
• A reusable coffee cup program collaborates with local cafes. The return and earn scheme raises money for Epson’s chosen charity. The team proudly keeps a tally of the funds raised on a poster.
• Small but emission intensive materials like electronic waste, batteries and ink cartridges are collected for recycling. An old document cabinet has been repurposed to create the clever recycling station.
• In the warehouse, Epson introduced a waste-to-energy recovery stream for broken pallets. This has resulted in a 60% decrease in landfill waste for the site. The team also shreds cardboard boxes to use as packing materials.

Interrelate, a small to medium-sized not-for-profit organisation, provides relationship counselling in Sydney’s north-west.

It has ticked several key boxes to reduce waste:

• Promoted reusable coffee cups
• Transitioned to a paperless office environment
• Introduced a sustainable procurement policy.

Metis Design and Engineering conduct regular visual waste assessments and identify areas for improvement. Its recycling rate is estimated at more than 70%.

Key moves include:

• single-use plastics avoidance activities – it buys wholesale snacks without plastic wrapping and paper and cloth bags are provided for employees who want to shop in the area
• encouraging reusable coffee cups. Signs remind employees to grab one on the way out the door. This seemingly small change has had a big impact
• organic waste dropped off at a local school composting station.

 Metis educates employees about the importance of reducing waste through participation in initiatives like Plastic Free July. Last year this involved a viewing of the film A Plastic Ocean.

Architects based in South Melbourne, Baenziger Coles, reduced waste by introducing responsible recycling practices, transitioning to digital work processes, and promoting sustainable consumption habits.

The office collects food waste for a local worm farm and employees contribute to community clean-up efforts.

Baenziger Coles advocates beyond its office and into the community through initiatives like Circular Economy in Action (CIA) meetups.

Surface Design are a team of engineers and designers based in Sydney and Queensland. They’ve been working hard to measure and manage their waste with the goal to reduce overall waste generation and improve recycling in their main Sydney office.

Simple but effective steps include installing an in-house catered coffee machine to remove single use disposal coffee cups and plastic lids. They’ve partnered with electronic e-waste recyclers to take their computers and screens when they have reached the end of life. Their suppliers have been engaged to provide packaging that can be recycled or reused.

The team have set up bins to measure their many recycling streams including plastics, paper, cardboard, batteries, aluminium and glass. These bins and other recycling efforts are in clear view for staff and visitors and form part of their waste education and awareness. The next step is to set targets for waste reduction per person.

JLL, a global real estate services firm, is championing sustainability and climate action within the real estate sector.

In 2022, JLL revamped its environmental, social, governance and sustainability program to align with 3 key areas: climate action, healthy spaces, and inclusive communities.

The company has been actively educating its 3,500 employees through its own e-learning program. The course is now mandatory for all new starters.

To reinforce organisational commitments and encourage sustainable practices at all levels, JLL uses internal communication channels like the JLL Sharepoint, Sustainability newsletter, quarterly Town Hall meetings and digital displays.

Arup is an international design and engineering firm with several offices around Australia.

• Each of Arup Australia’s major offices has an office sustainability committee called OvaGreen.
• OvaGreen committees meet monthly to workshop initiatives that encourage sustainable behaviour within day-to-day office work and the community.
• OvaGreen committees work closely with Arup’s key environmental representatives. Arup has one designated key environmental representative in each of its Australian offices.
• The ideas OvaGreen committees generate can be carried through to facilities management to engage all relevant Arup teams. For example, OvaGreen Sydney is currently investigating opportunities for a common herb garden with facilities management.
• OvaGreen committees have championed better waste signs in common areas, worked with facilities management to lower lighting levels, initiated meat-free Mondays for office catering, and introduced lunchtime TED talk presentations.

Intellihub, energy management specialists with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Auckland has embarked on a comprehensive sustainability journey since joining CitySwitch in August 2023.

It began by updating its sustainability framework. The framework includes a list of the current environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities.

Intellihub has also introduced:

• a new sustainability policy which applies a sustainability lens to all operations
• a Sustainability Champions team, bringing together volunteers across its offices each month. This team includes employees from various departments and varying levels of seniority.

These efforts have already yielded positive outcomes, including increased awareness, behaviour change, and the beginning of measuring and tracking sustainability performance.

Akamai, a cloud computing, cybersecurity, and content delivery company, has worked hard to align all levels of the organisation on the company’s approach to sustainability. This includes the board of directors, c-suite, division leads, broader executives, and all Akamai employees.

Through stimulating a shared sense of purpose, it has defined five targets to be achieved by 2030 and as well as a roadmap to achieve each:

• Net zero emissions
• 100% renewable energy
• Circularity
• Build efficiency
• Supplier engagement

Aurecon is a design, engineering, and advisory company. Its approach to getting the team onboard extends from the board to leadership positions, the corporate sustainability team and volunteer champions.

• The board and senior leadership endorsed the Aurecon Strategy (Blueprint) 2025 which sets out its commitment to sustainability and outlines specific objectives and targets to be achieved.
• The sustainability team introduces and manages initiatives across the company. It also prepares and publishes the company’s annual sustainability and carbon emission reports.
• Corporate sustainability champions, voluntary roles, support the regional leadership and the corporate sustainability team. Employees are encouraged to make suggestions to improve the organisation’s sustainability – champions monitor the suggestions.
• Aurecon uses multiple communication channels to get its team onboard - regional in-person meetings, intranet news, all company webinars and employee induction modules.

MI Global is a management consultancy specialising in services for sport and major events.

It has an office in North Sydney with employees across other cities.

The consultancy has:

• sustainable sourcing and procurement policies, including sustainable travel and volunteering, to underpin the organisation’s climate action commitments and to get employees onboard
• introduced tracking actions in its accounting system. For example, travel in hybrid or electric vehicles or the selection of a green supplier
• developed ways to communicate sustainability commitments to employees, including onboarding documents and presentations from the environment, social and governance team. It detailed an emissions reduction strategy and communicated how all team members can play a role
• introduced an employee incentive program called Green Globe to encourage staff to make sustainable changes professaionlly and personally

Ecovantage specialising in energy efficiency and emissions reduction. Transparent tracking of emissions reductions and showcasing successes through internal communications motivate staff to get on board.

Ecovantage integrates climate commitments into client engagements and organizational culture, ensuring alignment with their mission to protect the environment. Recent milestones include a 16% emissions decrease despite business expansion.

Green Energy Trading is an environmental consultant based in Hawthorn, Victoria. Through initiatives like Glow, offering incentives for environmental upgrades, and introducing a novated leasing program for electric vehicles, GET fosters a culture of sustainability within and beyond the organisation.

The establishment of a climate activism department and regular lunch 'n' learns sessions contribute to continuous learning and innovation.

Barry Nilsson, an Australia-wide legal firm, embarked on a transformative journey.

It mapped its carbon footprint, including its supply chain activities. A net zero plan developed and aligned with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), including a commitment to achieving a 100% net zero supply chain.

The company:

• uses platforms that provide data for flight, accommodation, and car travel emissions
• introduced a responsible procurement policy to ensure it prioritises working with suppliers with environmental commitments
• plans to switch to buying 100% GreenPower for its offices and introducing electric car travel.

Since joining CitySwitch in August 2023, Intellihub has prioritised greening its supply chain in its overarching sustainability strategy.

The company has:

• updated its Procurement Policy to include sustainable purchasing requirements and incorporate the ISO 20400 Sustainability Procurement Principles
• mapped its supply chain. The Environmental Social and Governance Manager collaborated with the Head of Supply Chain on this task.
• conducted a carbon account audit and found 99% of its emissions sit in Scope 3. It’s since categorised the buckets of emissions along its value chain to uncover emissions hot spots.
• started communicating with target suppliers about its procurement objectives to align decarbonisation goals.

Pangolin Associates, a consultancy firm dedicated to environmental stewardship, leads by example in sustainable supply chain practices.  

The company has:

• actively tracked emissions across its supply chain, fostering insights for minimising environmental impact, since 2010
• recently identified IT equipment as an important category to decarbonise. Its next step will be sourcing refurbished equipment with a lower footprint
• reduced emissions by about 39% by choosing to lease more energy efficient offices
• fostered good relationships with the owners of its buildings. It’s aiming to have the buildings purchasing 100% renewable electricity 2025
• commitments and certifications including B-Corp, Climate Active and the Science Based Target Initiative to verify its performance and accountability.

In 2023 GISA found around 97% of its emissions came from its supply chain.

The organisation uses Trellis Technologies’ emissions reporting dashboard to track supply chain emissions using financial statements.

The platform helps GISA uncover emissions hot spots, as well as identify and track areas for improvement.

GISA has discussed its decarbonisation objectives with several suppliers, including travel agents and cleaning services.

Its purchasing policy outlines its preference for goods with recycled content and low embodied emissions.

Boston Scientific is a global medical equipment manufacturer with an office in Sydney. Freight accounts for circa 40% of their Australia New Zealand carbon emissions so the actions they are taking in this area will be significant in greening the supply chain.

In 2023, they made important advances in their end-to-end ideal product flow initiative, which is focused on driving more efficiency and sustainability in how our products are sourced, manufactured, packaged, and distributed. It includes transporting products by sea, identifying the most direct shipping routes and reducing printed product instructions. By 2026, they expect these efforts to cut our use of paper by up to 90%, increase direct shipping to destination regions by approximately 90% and reduce supply chain costs annually by an estimated $80 million.