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Liberty Midlands Mall in Pietermaritzburg sets new standards for sustainability by being the first mall in KwaZulu-Natal to achieve this feat
Pietermaritzburg, 30 October 2024: In an exciting moment for sustainability for KwaZulu-Natal, Liberty Midlands Mall has announced that it has achieved a “Net Zero – Level 2 operational waste” certification. This environmental achievement, marks a first in the province, building on the five-star Green Star Existing Building Performance (EBP) rating that the centre was awarded by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) in 2021.
This achievement was granted by the GBCSA based on a waste diversion rate of 90% for a period of 12 consecutive months. The evaluation process entails an independent audit of the entire centre’s waste management system, which includes an assessment of the following “pathways”: efficiencies, on-site recovery (including “separation at source” by the tenants) and off-site solutions for the recycling and recovery of materials.
Midlands Mall has achieved an impressive average waste diversion rate of 92% during the past year, which has had the following beneficial impacts on the environment:
The centre employs a multifaceted approach to waste management, combining waste minimization, recycling, and recovery strategies as well as comprehensive tenant education programs, intensive on-site sorting and separation facilities, as well as innovative composting systems for organic waste.
Georgina Smit, Head of Technical at GBCSA, says: “We would like to congratulate Liberty Two Degrees for its commitment to bold sustainability goals and achieving them! The dedication of more retail industry leaders like this can help South Africa reshape its waste management trajectory, reducing reliance on landfills and fostering a truly circular economy.”
Brian Unsted, Lead Specialist: Sustainability for Liberty Two Degrees expressed his appreciation to the entire team involved in this landmark achievement, including the Midlands Mall centre management team, the centre’s tenants, WastePlan as the specialist waste management company, and Solid Green together with “Sow and Reap” as the accredited certifying professionals, who together made this accomplishment possible. “This accomplishment not only showcases our commitment to sustainability, but also demonstrates Liberty Two Degrees’ dedication to driving positive change within the communities served by our retail properties,” shared Unsted.
Midlands Mall forms part of the Liberty Two Degrees Retail property portfolio, which is currently the only portfolio of shopping malls in South Africa to have achieved “Net Zero – Level 2” waste certification in South Africa. Additional initiatives are currently being implemented to further improve the centre’s waste diversion rate in future.
