Waste produced by office building tenants is an important component of calculating the carbon footprint of an organization, but also of the office building itself. By partnering with WasteTracker, a startup specializing in smart waste tracking, Skanska is introducing an innovative waste tracking system to its portfolio of buildings in the region, including Romania. It allows tenants to record and measure the amount of waste produced before it is collected, thus facilitating ESG reporting, responsible building management and improved waste management behaviour.
WasteTracker is an intuitive, easy-to-use tool designed by experts from the real estate industry. It consists of a weighing terminal, using employee access cards in a given building, and an analytical system. Waste is weighed and recorded before being placed in building containers. Each tenant has direct access to the analytical system, thanks to which they know how many kilograms of waste is generated in the company, as well as can visualize the carbon footprint generated by it, divided into fractions.
Importantly, the tool will support users in refining waste management strategies. Tenants can analyze data together with WasteTracker and select the most appropriate actions in the field of education and promotion of good practices in waste reduction, reuse or segregation. This is the first such solution in Europe.
The WasteTracker system will operate in seven Skanska buildings in Central and Eastern Europe: Equilibrium project in Bucharest, Wave in Gdańsk, Brama Miasta in Łódź, Centrum Południe in Wrocław (phase 2) Studio B and P180 office buildings in Warsaw, Czech Port7.
“Equilibrium is the first building in Bucharest to introduce a digital waste monitoring system. We have installed WasteTracker in the waste collection chambers of the two Equilibrium buildings, allowing us to weigh and record waste before it is deposited in the collection bins. In addition to generating data for ESG reporting, we are confident that the implementation of the system will provide tenants with a clear insight into their impact, helping them to identify and implement improvement measures and ultimately collectively reduce our carbon footprint,” comments Tamara Guleryuz, Leasing & Asset Manager at Skanska.
“Attempting to eliminate waste without accurately measuring it is like trying to drive safely in a car without a speedometer. Those who do not understand whether they exceed certain standards and pose a threat on the road do not take their foot off the gas. WasteTracker helps to measure the actual production of waste at the beginning and then helps understand the data using benchmarks and knowledge of the Zero Waste strategy. As part of the cooperation, we indicate the most important areas for improvement – a building with 90 percent mixed waste will adopt a different Zero Waste strategy than one that generates 30 percent bio-waste. We are very pleased that Skanska has decided to implement our system in all buildings in its portfolio. In ESG activities, we need actions with a wide reach, otherwise, we have no chance of achieving zero emissions by 2050,” says Renata Hartle, CEO and co-founder of WasteTracker.
Towards zero waste
The partnership with WasteTracker is not the only Skanska initiative that is contributing to the development of a circular economy. In the process of constructing its office buildings, Skanska integrates materials that include recycled products such as steel, concrete and aluminium. As part of the preparation of subsequent investments, it also uses innovative technologies to be able to recover as many elements as possible from existing buildings.
