In 1998 the NSW Government started the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) scheme to help building owners and tenants understand the greenhouse performance of their buildings against a state benchmark. Since its inception the scheme has saved more than 6 million tons of CO2 emissions, which equate to around $870 Million in energy bills.
However, in the 2004 the program went beyond energy and was used to measure water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality. Therefore, ABGR was renamed the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS).
After the Australian Government signed the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emission to zero by 2050, the Government incorporated the NABERS initiative to create a national benchmark and provide an independent, trusted, verifiable measures of a building’s performance as it tracks towards net zero environmental impact. Net zero can mean net zero emissions, net zero energy, zero waste, strict water efficiency strategies and consideration of the indoor environment quality.
One of the environmental impacts identified is waste and therefore the NABERS Waste Rating was established. This rating is an independent benchmark of the recycling and resource recovery performance of a building. A NABERS Accredited Assessor will evaluate how well a building can separate the waste created into re-used and recycled channels.
The best way to ensure an Accredited Assessor can complete the rating quickly is to keep detailed records and have all the appropriate data on hand. You are required to track and store the volume of the waste generated over a 12-month period.
NABERS offers two benchmark options for the rating:
- Base building – This NABERS evaluation measures only those wastes contracted by the building owner. This rating provides insights into the management of the building, irrespective of which tenants are in the building.
- Whole building – This NABERS evaluation measures any waste that leaves from the building, where it can be reliably measured. This rating suits a building with highly engaged tenants who are working with building management.
How can National Weighing and Instruments help you and your waste management?
National Weighing and Instruments has developed the Industrial Waste Management (iWM) system, which is an all-in-one package. The iWM system offers a comprehensive record for managing a variety of waste channels at a diverse range of facilities. This system is also National Measurement Institute (NMI) trade approved for those wishing to charge tenants by weight.
Key features of the iWM system:
- Versatile touchscreen – this removes the need for keypads or additional equipment
- Data reported in CSV format – this reduces the amount time converting the data into a savable worksheet.
- Transactions records are traceable for invoicing
- Suitability for all types of wheeled bins up to 1100 litres
The iWM system can be customised to the client’s weighing requirements and additional equipment such as a RFID scanner can be attached to the system. Tags can be programmed with information including tare (empty weight), client ID and location for easy traceability.
The weighing system can be installed quickly with minimal disruption to site.
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