Concert takes its commitment to sustainability seriously. This is especially apparent at the Vancouver head office building, which has recently been recognized as a high performer for generating low waste levels and diverting a significant percentage of waste to recycling and composting.
“We have made excellent progress over the years thanks to the cooperation of the building community, including Concert employees and other tenants, as well as janitorial and maintenance staff,” says Caron Tauber, Property Manager. “It has been a journey defined by our commitment to do the right thing for our company and the environment.”
Waste reduction efforts at the head office building began in 2015 by first encouraging small behavioural changes. Central recycling stations were also created to help users make appropriate disposal decisions.
“We knew that to successfully reduce waste and increase recycling and composting, we had to keep things simple and easy for users,” says Tauber.
To support reduction efforts, Concert also introduced regular and highly-visible communications about recycling and composting initiatives.
“We work hard to keep our employees and tenants informed so they can make the right decisions,” says Colleen Lim, Property Management Assistant. “It makes a difference in our ability to be a high performer.”
With recent recycling rule changes, Property Management is turning up the volume on its communication to help educate tenants on products that are no longer accepted for recycling. Signage is also being updated to clarify new rules and ensure the waste sorting process remains easy to follow.
“We know that adapting to new recycling rules will take time and effort”, says Lim. “But we’re confident that by continuing to work together, our Vancouver head office will continue to lead the way and remain one of Vancouver’s top three performers for waste diversion.”
While focused on waste reduction, Property Management has taken additional steps at Concert’s head office to minimize the building’s environmental footprint. Virtually all the site’s florescent lights were recently replaced with LEDs resulting in significant energy savings. Low flush toilet valves were also installed during renovations leading to a major reduction in water consumption.
“We are proud of everything we’re doing to make a difference,” says Tauber. “We will keep looking for opportunities that make sense to support our sustainability commitment.”