CASE STUDY

Sustainability DriversAfter completing an internal review of their energy, waste, transport and water usage, North Sydney Community Centre took action within the Centre and via the courses and events they run. This focus then naturally turned to address the centre’s largest community event, the Northside Produce Market. Hosting over 130 stalls, with 1500 visitors each market a considerable effort was needed by management to engage the necessary stakeholders, identify opportunities, measure and verify their reduced impact on the environment typically caused by the markets. They decided to focus on Waste, Transport and Community Involvement and began by drafting up an action plan outlining objectives, audience, infrastructure requirements, key messages and methods of communications.

AchievementsEnergy Saver: • 72x Solar panels installed late 2017 and operational since February 2018• All lights in the Centre converted to the low energy, long lasting LED• Energy efficient light bulbs in place• Have solar hot water for the centre• Maximise natural lights and reduce need for heating and A/C with blinds down in

summer and put them up in winter• Photocopier turned off each night and kept on energy efficient mode while running• Computers logged out each weeknight and shut down on weekends and use sleep

mode during the day for any periods of inactivity• Energy efficient kiln for ceramics class - works on timers to utilise off peak electricity

Waste Saver: • Recycling internally has diverted 7 tonnes of waste from landfill• Following a waste assessment and support from BBP in 2015, increased their

recycling rate at the Northside Produce Market by 43% • Set up a Bag Depot at the Northside Produce Market to encourage people to use

reusable shopping bags and avoid plastic bags• Organise ‘Expresso Yourself CupART’ exhibition and awareness 2 years in a row -

recycled coffee cups art exhibition, to raise awareness and funds for Little Penguins at Taronga Zoo in 2017 and for WIRES NSW in 2018 (raised $1250). Perky by Nature donated bamboo cups for lucky draw and proceeds from her cup sales to WIRES. Tees to Totes made pouches for injured animals. Clay Cups stall at the market.

• After School Care – online reporting and digital reporting saves printing and paper. Ipads now in use for signing in and out. No need for paper records.

• Playgroup – banned use of glitter favouring instead our shredded paper. We shred leftover course guides and other documents to give them colourful collage materials.

• Adult Classes – ideas to reuse and upcycle and cross promote with Markets - Beeswax Wraps have stall and run classes. Holly Davis has stall and runs classes on pickling and preserving – dealing with fruit and vegetable waste. Basket Weaving using recyclable materials.

• Provide purpose-built bin lids identifying what can be recycled and what is waste on bins at markets and events

• Clearly labelled and colour-coded recycling bins throughout the Centre• Reuse cardboard boxes, used paper, old cards, disposable coffee cups and trays and

collage materials for craft and painting• Recycle all printer cartridges and batteries; now recycling soft plastics• Staff coffees are provided in reusable cups/glasses• After School Care uses reusable plates and cups• Have a compost bin outside to compost food scraps• Have dramatically reduced printing as well as postage and packaging by emailing

course guide information, having forms online, displaying flyer on a TV, reducing frequency of course guide to twice a year instead of 4. now digitally archiving more information and reducing paper usage

• Less flyers printed for the Markets, less laminating• Entertainment Book Fundraiser – encouraging purchase of digital copies to reduce

printing in future

BUSINESS OVERVIEWNORTH SYDNEY COMMUNITY CENTRE IS A VIBRANT HUB OF EXPLORERS PLAYGROUP, AFTER SCHOOL CARE, NORTHSIDE PRODUCE MARKET. AN EVER-CHANGING VARIETY OF WEEKLY CLASSES AND WEEKEND WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS AND FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS. A HUGE EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS TO IMPROVE ITS SUSTAINABILITY. Actions were initially taken by management to raise awareness of energy efficiency and effective waste management within the community centre and at the Northside Produce Market. They have also begun to engage the community on sustainable transport options through their markets, with a detailed survey undertaken and bike maitenance stalls on offer. Following a waste assessment and support from BBP, in 2015 they increased their recycling rate at the Northside Markets by 43%!

NORTH SYDNEY COMMUNITY CENTRE

“We decided to focus on our own sustainability, then how our markets operate and how to improve them.”

Community Support: • Organise regular fundraisers such as annual food drives - 1000 bags of food raised for the House of

Welcome, birthing kits and breast cushions for Zonta and $2500 for Wendy Whiteley’s Garden• Partnerships with a number of charities and community organisations i.e. House of Welcome, Smith

Family, Oxfam, Mary’s House, Little Penguins Taronga Zoo• Provide a free stall at each market to allow charities to raise awareness and funds for their cause,

such as Oz Harvest. North Sydney Council bushcare, SES have a stall for education & awareness to the local residents

• Recently started a ‘Book Swap’ in the Centre with donations going to Indigenous Literacy collection• Corporate volunteers come throughout the year to the centre to help out with painting, cleaning,

building jobs, or for food and Christmas drives.• Organise regular market tours for the community to go the behind the scenes• Publish their annual report with summary of community initiatives• Host sustainability-related workshops such as chutneys, preserving, pickling recycling and using

natural materials etc.• Resident uses a table at Markets for action and awareness of great causes; Monte student ban the

plastic bag stall at Market with petition• Support and highlight sustainable stalls at the Markets• Gai-mariagal Festival activities – June each year at Markets and Playgroup• Honey Honey event May 2018 – encourage native bees• Early Ed support in Playgroup• Sustainable Film screenings – Tomorrow in May 2018; Guarding the Galilee – Stop Adani Aug 2017;

Baulkham Hills African Ladies Dance Troupe Aug 2017 • Community Memorial Picnic Day May 2018 remembering those no longer with us• Clear access for all disabilities and wheel chair use• All persons and disabilities welcome to volunteer at the Centre

Water Saver: • Water efficient bathrooms with push taps, sensor urinals and dual flush toilets• Toilets flush from recycled water from rainwater tank• At functions/meetings, providing pitchers and glasses of water• Chose plants with low water needs

Sustainable Purchasing: • Encourage stall holders to use environmentally-friendly packagingand organic and fair trade products• Playgroup buys supplies in bulk for economic reasons and to minimise packaging and transport needs,

reuses toys and donated goods• After School Care uses Netflix for movie days which saves buying DVDs• Purchase 100% recycled photocopy paper whenever possible• Use Ecobins bins that are certified carbon neutral and recyclable• Use second hand and donated chairs and office equipment

Staff Support: • Long term staff with low turnover in the team• Regular meetings and annual reviews provide feedback on effectiveness and satisfaction• People take responsibility for their main areas• Staff members supported in their roles, receive ongoing training & incentives• Balance of new ideas and experience• Communities in Control Conference in Melbourne• Stress Management info session

Sustainable Transport: • Free bike maintenance station installed at the Markets to tune up bicycles and encourage cycling• Permanent bike racks installed at Centre and local council to allow public to travel via bicycle• Survey of public and staff to analyse means of transport to markets• Public transport directions and link to 131500 available on their website• Large number of people take public transport to workshops & walk to Market

This revealed the markets were producing over 109,440 litres (262 tonnes) of waste per year

CHANGES IN ATTITUDES OR BEHAVIOURRelationships with stakeholders has improved especially with stallholders, staff and volunteers. A large number of stallholders already have an interest in sustainability selling sustainable products so they were encouraged by the response of the management of the markets and are enthusiastic to take part.

All the staff and volunteers come up with actions to implement. This exercise also proved very helpful in involving staff. The senior management continue to provide updates to the staff on the status of actions. The staff and volunteers have helped in completing actions such as auditing the bins at the markets, and identifying charities or community organisations to work with. They were delighted to see their ideas in practice. As a community organisation, they also were motivated by doing some good for the environment and for other community organisation and charities especially ones they have connections to.

MORE INFORMATIONJoanna Jouin, Centre Director220 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060 | (02) 9922 2299www.northsydneycentre.com.au

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“Bring your stakeholders on the journey, we could not have made these changes without developing the partnerships we have. Our relationship with our stakeholders has improved especially with our staff, volunteers and stallholders.”

KEY ACHIEVEMENTSince 2015, they have increased their recycling rate at the Northside Markets by 43%!

COMMUNICATING THE MESSAGE

The Centre communicateswith course tutors during tutorevenings and to students throughthe course guide. Partnershipswith a number of charities andcommunity organisations i.e.House of Welcome, Bushcare haveallowed the Centre to develop aninteresting corporate socialresponsibility aspect of themarkets. To gain stallholdersupport they communicate viaemail, then face-to-face whenthey attend the markets. Publicawareness of initiatives go throughtheir own E-News, North SydneyCouncil’s Newsletter and website.