As we enter the holiday season, many of us will be visiting a local mall, Lansdowne Place, to do our shopping. As one of the largest and busiest shopping centres in the area, you might be surprised to learn Lansdowne Place is also a community leader in energy efficiency.
Lansdowne Place has been recognized locally and nationally for its commitment to sustainability. Mall managers have implemented a number of retrofit projects, some receiving funding from Peterborough Distribution Inc.’s (PDI) Save On Energy incentives.
There are more than 100 retailers at the mall with around 1000 employees. As a shopping destination in the Kawarthas, the mall’s approach to sustainability must be comprehensive to manage the high traffic that the building experiences.
Mario Serracino, Operations Manager at Lansdowne Place, explains that energy efficiency is, “a big part of our corporate mandate.” He also notes that with the upgrades to the building, the mall has saved half a million kilowatts per hour (kWh) of electricity since 2009, which translates to a huge decrease in operating costs.
The mall recently installed LED lighting in the food courts, the main hallway, and the parking lot, and upgraded the energy management system that controls the lighting, heating, and air conditioning. Serracino has focused on improving the scheduling of the automation system and the occupancy sensors, to reduce energy waste.
“To say that management staff and retailers at Lansdowne Place are eager to support green initiatives at the mall, is an understatement,” says Emily Dart, Lansdowne Place Marketing Director. “Every day we strive to reduce our carbon footprint.”
Lansdowne Place is also committed to increasing waste diversion rates. The installation of a smart irrigation system helps the mall to save water, and an on-site food digester collects the coffee grounds from Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s. Instead of depositing coffee grounds in the garbage, the mall saves them for weekly pick-up by Regional Organics, a recycler located east of Lindsay. Every year, Regional Organics transports 32 tonnes of grounds from the mall and uses this waste to make a nutrient-rich soil mix.
Even cigarette waste is redirected from a landfill. Cigarette butts are collected and shipped to the recycling company, Terracycle, where they are recycled into a variety of industrial products such as plastic pallets, while any remaining tobacco is composted.
Other sustainability efforts include using pesticide-free supplies in landscaping and eco-friendly cleaning products, printing mall-wide gift cards on recycled materials, and providing washrooms that are equipped with energy efficient hand dryers, hands-free faucets, and low-flow toilets. The mall is also working to reduce water consumption with the installation of a weather-based smart controlled irrigation system that makes real-time adjustments as the weather changes.
Currently, the mall’s sustainability projects include installing transformative wave technology, which is essentially a dimmer switch for the air conditioning to reduce energy use while maintaining comfort levels, and ongoing exploration of building processes to aid in energy savings.
Most recently, Lansdowne Place will be installing two Level III Fast Charging stations for electric vehicles. Peterborough Utilities Group, along with the City of Peterborough will be receiving funding from the Ministry of Transportation as part of a provincial effort to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
The province has invested $20 million from Ontario’s Green Investment Fund to build nearly 500 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at over 250 locations in 2017; this will create a network of electric vehicle charging stations in cities, along highways, and at workplaces across the province.
Other locations in the Peterborough area that will also receive these charging stations include the Riverview Park and Zoo, the Memorial Centre, King Street Parking Garage, downtown Norwood, and downtown Lakefield.
Sustainability is a collective effort, and Lansdowne Place understands this. Mario explains that the mall has a recognition program for its tenants, awarding green stars for their efforts to reduce waste and energy usage.
Lansdowne Place was recognized by the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) for achieving environmental excellence, and was the first property in Canada to receive LEED Commercial Interiors Silver Designation.
The mall has also been showcased as an active member of the Sustainable Peterborough Business Initiative (SBPI), which is a business-to-business network that supports Peterborough enterprises, and aims to educate, motivate, and empower local businesses as they move towards sustainable practices.
This year, SBPI has launched a toolkit that provides insight and practical resources on the opportunities and challenges facing the local business community in order to do better, and more environmentally-friendly business. The SPBI Toolkit can be accessed online at sustainablepeterborough.ca.
For more information about green initiatives at Lansdowne Place, visit lansdowneplace.com. Access the Save On Energy financial incentive programs, which help make retrofit projects a reality, through Peterborough Distribution Inc. For more information, visit greenbusinesspeterborough.ca or pdiconserves.ca or call PDI at 705-748-6900.
