The V&A Waterfront aims to eliminate single

The V&A Waterfront has revised its tenant lease agreement to eliminate single-use plastics by 2025.

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The precinct included 12 single-use plastic products to be eliminated, including plastic barrier bags, plastic shopping bags, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, plastic stirrers, plastic pallet wrap, earbuds with plastic stems, and lollipops with plastic sticks, among others.

The effort is guided by the South African Plastics Pact (SAPP), a collaborative initiative aimed at creating a circular economy for plastic packaging.

The V&A Waterfront also has a dedicated team of more than 90 people involved in collecting and sorting all the waste on the property. The V&A's Waste Recovery and Recycling Centre is supplied by 386 collection points on the site, while more than 550 bins are emptied twice a day.

Some of the other initiatives that are implemented at the V&A Waterfront include using eco-bricks (two-litre plastic bottles stuff with unrecyclable waste) in its construction projects and partnering with SAPP to co-fund and co-design the Return-on-the-Go Plastic Cup Project at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market. The aim of the project is to demonstrate how the reuse of plastic can be tested at the V&A and to encourage consumers and retailers to collaborate on reducing plastic waste.

As per a statement, ‘the V&A Waterfront included the SAPP in the lease and tenant house rules to align with its strategic sustainability and development objectives. Existing tenants due for renewal, as well as new tenants, are bound by the green lease agreement.’

David Green, V&A Waterfront CEO, says the green lease is being updated to mirror the precinct's commitment to sustainability and to encourage water and waste management, energy efficiency and associated cost savings with tenants.

‘It is important for the Waterfront to attract high-quality tenants willing to incorporate sustainability best practices into their operations as we invest in and implement measures to reduce the environmental impact of our portfolio of over 500,000 m2 rentable commercial and retail space in order to meet our 2035 net-zero goal.’

The existing green lease agreement already requires all tenants to help reduce water and energy use, and each tenant is responsible for their own waste management and recycling efforts. Each tenant must develop a waste management plan that includes how recycling efforts are conducted, as well as recycling targets and the process for measuring and reporting on this data.

The V&A Waterfront is home to more than 800 tenants, and a recycling rate of 50% (by mass) is recommended to be achieved from fitout waste.

Cape {town} Etc discount: Enjoy a two-course meal for two people at The Clipper Restaurant at the V&A Waterfront for R399 (valued at R680). Get it here.

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