Waste Management Plan - Perth
Aim
The purpose of the Waste Management Plan (WMP) is to provide guidelines and a framework to ensure compliance with the change of use application for the development approval for the Akidamy School of Early Learning (School or the Akidamy) by the City of Vincent (COV) and that the long-term sustainability and environmental consciousness objectives of the School are consistently met. This WMP has been prepared to outline how waste is to be stored and collected from the School.
Reason
“At the Akidamy School of Early Learning, we are committed to taking an active role in caring for our environment and contributing to a sustainable future.”
Method
In order to help meet the aim, a WMP will be developed and regularly monitored. The WMP will include all the actions that are required to achieve the above aim. In addition:
- Each action shall have a specific deliverable and an expected timeframe.
- Progress against each action shall be monitored regularly.
- Actions shall be updated or revised accordingly.
Location
The Akidamy has been successfully operating with 63 children since 2018 at Lot 38 (No. 105) Summers Street, Perth, and is located within one of the best supported public transport locations in Western Australia; this would be similar to an Early Learning School opening in the Perth CBD. The School is in a unique location as it has a Department of Transport (DOT) public parking station, pedestrian and cycle paths, and bus and train infrastructure all within a 300-metre radius. This ensures the School is easily accessible for staff and parents within the COV and for people travelling within the surrounding public transport network, as there are multiple options for getting to and leaving the School.
The School is currently proposing to expand its operations from 63 to 90 children across two lots (i.e., Lot 38, No. 105) on Summers Street, Perth, and Lot 1, No. 34 Cheriton Street, Perth (refer to Figure 1). The Summers Street (Summers House) building will hold 60 children and will be the main entrance for the School and for all deliveries. The Akidamy has received Development Approval in 2023 for an expansion of the School to 90 children, with 30 additional children being housed at adjoining property on Cheriton Street (Cheriton House).
Figure 1: Site Plan
Waste Management Objectives
The objective of this WMP is to outline the equipment and procedures that will be adopted to manage all waste at the subject site. Specifically, the plan demonstrates that the School has been designed to:- Adequately cater for the anticipated quantities of waste and recyclables to be generated by the proposed expansion of Cheriton House;
- Provide a suitable Bin Storage area, including appropriate receptacles for commercial development, and
- Allow for efficient servicing of receptacles by appropriate waste collection vehicles for commercial development.
We also collect all food scraps from meals, which are placed in a compost bin at the School. This compost is then used in our School garden.
Based on current waste generation rates, we estimate that based on the expanded building footprint of 170 sq m and a licenced child capacity increase to 90 places, we will need one (1) 240-litre bin for general waste and one (1) 240-litre bin for recycling, which is shown in Figure 1.
The commercial waste is removed by JJ Richard and Son, a private contractor, who collects these bins twice a week. We also collect all food scraps from meals, which are placed in a compost bin (180L Geared Twin Tumbler) at the School. This compost is then used in our School garden. Green waste is removed off-site by our Garden Maintenance Contractors as part of garden maintenance activities.
Our current practice is that all waste is collected by a private contractor (JJ Richard & Son), with the bins collected from the School within the car parking area. The bins are and will continue to be collected during the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will not adversely impact the parking at the School as it is outside of peak AM and PM periods, so there is little demand for parking during these times.
| Location | Bin Size (L) | Waste | Building Size (sqm) | Children | No. of Bins | Collection Frequency | Collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summers House Lot 38 (No. 105) Summers Street, Perth | 660 | General Waste | 430 | 60 | 1 | Once a week | JJ Richard & Son (Private Contractor) |
| As above | 660 | Recycling | 430 | 60 | 1 | Once a week | As above |
| Cheriton House Lot 1 (No. 34), Cheriton Street, Perth | 240 | General Waste | 170 | 30 | Once a week | As above | |
| As Above | 240 | Recycling | 170 | As above |
Waste Management Design
The bin storage area is located at the ground level of the Summers and Cheriton House buildings, adjacent to the on-site parking area. The bin storage area will:- Have an impervious floor draining to the sewer and a tap to facilitate washing of the Bins in the Bin Storage Area;
- Have doors that will be vermin-proof;
- Be ventilated to a suitable standard;
- Be cleaned when required to reduce potential odours (the bins, floor and walls can all be cleaned); and
- Have a designated area inside the Bin Storage Area where the bins will be washed.
Waste Management Activities
The School Director will be responsible for managing the waste collection at the Akidamy. The School Director will also be responsible for completing the following tasks:- Monitoring of the Bin Storage Area, including ensuring the bins are arranged in such a way that there is always capacity for general waste and recycling in the front bins at all times;
- Wheeling the bins required to be serviced out of the Bin Storage Area to be serviced one at a time during collection times;
- Monitoring of waste composition to identify opportunities for source separation of recycling waste materials and waste reduction activities;
- Delegating and organising for maintenance of the bins and the Bin Storage Area; and
- organising the cleaning of the bins and the Bin Storage Area as and when required.
- All green waste and refuse are currently and will continue to be taken offsite by landscaping and maintenance contractors as part of their monthly work.
Conclusion
This WMP demonstrates that the site will be serviced by sufficient bin storage facilities based on the estimated waste generated by the historical operations of the Akidamy at 105 Summers St, Perth. This WMP will be reviewed as part of the- Environmental Learning Opportunities: These opportunities for children will be developed in order to teach them an understanding and respect for the environment while reducing our carbon footprint. We are also encouraging families (and our staff) to take public transport and walk or cycle to the School. In particular, environmental learning opportunities will be designed and introduced to the children. Our staff are actually provided with a financial incentive to use public transport, walk, or bike to and from the School.
- Parent/Family Involvement: Parents and Families will be regularly advised of the sustainability activities that children are involved in and will be asked to participate in various sustainability events and communal working sessions.
- Communicating Policy to Families, Children, and Team Members: Information relating to the WMP is communicated in the following ways: Newsletters, Family and Educators handbooks, team meetings and memos, planned experiences for the children, notice boards and posters, pamphlets and information sheets in the foyer, role models and signs displayed around the studios and school, etc.
Policy Review Statement
All policies will be reviewed annually in consultation with Families, Team members, and Management. Any changes in legislation, regulations, Quality assurance, or other standards will be considered in the review process. Any changes in policies or procedures will be communicated to families and Team Members verbally and in writing. Failure to abide by the guidelines will result in disciplinary action.