Liberty Midlands sets new standards for sustainability in KwaZulu Natal

 This brief case study explains how WastePlan enabled Liberty Midlands Mall (part of the L2D portfolio) to achieve an extraordinary 92% waste diversion rate for 12 months in a row, supporting them in their ambitious goal of achieving the prestigious Net Zero Waste Level 2 certification as well as a 5-Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).

ABOUT THE CLIENT

Liberty Midlands Mall 

Liberty Midlands Mall is well-known in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands – with an impressive 78 249m² footprint and over 165 local and global retail stores, it attracts millions of shoppers each year.

THE CHALLENGES

When WastePlan started on site in August 2021, Liberty Midlands Mall had a few challenges, all mainly relating to contaminated waste.

The many restaurants and fast food outlets in the mall produced high volumes of food contaminated waste. This meant that even recyclables such as plastic, cardboard and broken glass were being sent to landfill, and continuous engagement and training were therefore required to improve separation at source.

This process, however, was complicated by the high turnover of staff at the restaurants and fast food outlets. This meant that WastePlan staff were having to train new people on an ongoing basis, which for a long time included a daily visit to each and every food-related tenant to create awareness of the mall’s waste diversion strategy.

Then there was the need for changing the behaviour of shoppers, encouraging them to use the 120x strategically placed bins across the mall for effective waste segregation.

The mall also served (and still serves) as a community recycling hub, where members of the public dropped off about 4 tonnes of waste every month, which also needed to be managed, separated and sorted.

THE SOLUTION

So, how did WastePlan enable Liberty Midlands Mall to achieve Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification, and reach their target of 92% waste diversion rate? Intentionally and systematically, the specialist Zero Waste To Landfill (ZWTL) WastePlan team managed to find sustainable solutions for each of the challenging waste streams.

Currently, key initiatives include:

• Organic waste is being used for composting: Food waste is now being effectively separated at source (in the kitchens of the restaurants and fast food outlets) and sent to two composting facilities instead of landfill. Fat traps capture the fat, oils and grease (FOG), which are also being sent to a composting facility. The compost is then used for breeding black soldier flies, which have a high protein content that make them valuable to the fishing industry.
• Building rubble is being reused by the construction industry: Renovation waste (including lots of broken porcelain and ceramics from the restaurants!) are being crushed and reused in the construction industry. Metals and wood from maintenance activities are either being reused or recycled.
• Hard-to-recycle plastics and rags are being turned into alternative fuels: These are now being processed into alternative fuels at a pyrolysis plant.
• Fabric wipes are being recycled: Used fabric wipes are being collected and sent for recycling instead of disposal.
  
  

THE RESULTS

Between Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 WastePlan successfully managed more than 2 743 tonnes of waste, of which more than 2 615 tonnes were diverted from landfill through recycling, composting, and energy recovery.

The prestigious Net Zero Waste Level 2 certification as well as a 5-Green Star rating were only awarded by the GBCSA after an independent audit was carried out on the entire waste management system, including:

• The efficiency of the mall’s waste management processes,
• on-site recovery (including separation at source and sorting), and
• off-site solutions for the recycling and recovery of materials.

The audit found that “Liberty Midlands employs a multifaceted approach to waste management, combining waste minimisation, recycling, and recovery strategies as well as comprehensive tenant education programs, intensive on-site sorting and separation facilities, as well as innovative composting systems for organic waste.”

WHAT THE CLIENT HAD TO SAY

Brian Unsted, Asset Manager for L2D, expressed his appreciation to the entire team who together made these incredible accomplishments possible, and for those just beginning their climate journey, his advice is simple: “Start now. Perform a gap analysis to understand where you are and where you want to be. Be realistic about your ambitions, and know that some initiatives will succeed while others may fail. The key is to learn from each experience. Many experts (such as WastePlan) are available to help guide your efforts, so don’t hesitate to seek support.”

If you also have an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and want to set new sustainability standards for your industry – contact WastePlan today!