Recognising outstanding waste-reduction efforts, the inaugural National Environment Agency (NEA) 3R Awards for Shopping Malls have gone to five malls and one retail tenant.
The Standalone Malls category awards went to 313@Somerset and Ikea Alexandra, while Jem, Parkway Parade and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands won the Mixed Developments category. The tenant award went to Kiehl’s Since 1851 (Singapore).
Lendlease mall-management company won the award across all its three properties, 313@Somerset, Jem and Parkway Parade.
“With waste disposal quantities in Singapore steadily increasing over the years, it’s heartening to see mall companies like Lendlease prioritising sustainability and doing their part to engage and influence their network of shoppers, tenants and staff in the greater adoption of 3R [reduce, reuse, recycle] practices,” says NEA Waste and Resource Management Department director Ong Soo San.
Collectively, the five winning malls recycled more than 3037 tonnes of waste last year, resulting in savings of about S$230,000 (US$170,000) in waste disposal costs.
Ikea was the first retail mall chain in Singapore to stop providing disposable shopping bags, encouraging customers to buy reusable bags. Last year it also started replacing disposable containers for take-away meals with reusable ones.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands has a sustainability team and annual activities to inspire its stakeholders to actively reduce and recycle waste.
Shoppers encouraged
At the Lendlease properties, there is a roving waste collection for tenants to dispose of cartons and packaging materials. An Eco-digester system at Jem and Parkway Parade breaks down about two tonnes and 1.4 tonnes of organic waste respectively into water each day. Cooking oil collected from F&B tenants at 313@Somerset and Jem is converted into biofuel.
There also events to encourage shoppers to engage in 3R, as well as annual recycling campaigns.
On an individual retailer level, skincare and haircare retailer Kiehl’s Since 1851 involves its customers in 3R, encouraging them to return Kiehl’s containers to its retail stores for recycling, and even has a “Recycle & Be Rewarded” program.
Launched at the inaugural awards was the Food Waste Minimisation Guidebook for Supermarkets by Dr Khor, jointly developed by the NEA and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA).
Also in conjunction with the awards was a 3R Seminar for Shopping Malls, including an exhibition showcasing 3R innovation.
NEA will hold the awards every two years.
