When a Vancouver-based development company began designing a new vibrant outdoor shopping mall in South Surrey offering a mix of independent and fashion retailers, restaurants, and residential units, it contracted Target Zero Waste Consulting to recommend the best way to handle the waste and recyclables generated at the site. The needs of this development were diverse: envisioned as a mix of commercial and residential properties, it had a variety of waste and recycling requirements.
“Back in 2009, I asked Target Zero Waste to help us with this mixed-use development because we’d worked together on another property. This time, I wanted the expertise from the beginning. What equipment would work, how we had to design the waste facilities, and how to plan for the property’s expansion over time,” said Dino Lewis, Operations Manager for the site. Development plans called for more than 60 stores and over 400 residential units.
Target Zero Waste Consulting worked with the developers from the design stage, to implementation, to ongoing management of the development and its evolving needs.
Target Zero Waste consulted with the client to design high-functioning waste and recycling facilities that are out-of-sight of shoppers and residents. The facilities were designed for easy access for residents and commercial lease-holders to use; compactors ensure that haulage costs are kept to a minimum. Target Zero Waste Consulting continues to manage all the commercial waste and recycling service providers on behalf of the property: negotiating rates, reviewing and managing monthly costs and invoicing, and managing site needs.
Today, the development’s needs continue to evolve. New restaurants have opened, so Target Zero Waste has added new services including the collection of food waste in an effort to divert material from the waste stream. “For me, there’s real peace-of-mind knowing I can just call Target Zero Waste and tell them there’s a new service moving in to the site. They’ll take care of whatever the waste needs are. That’s one less thing for me to do,” said Lewis.