Conestoga Mall and the Waterloo Community
Improving our community
Conestoga Mall is dedicated to engaging our customers to improve our community, now and in the future. Each year Conestoga Mall supports various initiatives from health care to arts to the environment.
Conestoga Mall understands the importance of a healthy environment, has taken action to reduce our ecological footprint and we aim to improve our practices continually. To date, we have successfully reduced our energy usage with LED lights and auto timing systems by adjusting temperatures during the day, reducing electricity and natural gas consumption. Annual participation in the WWF Earth Hour movement by turning off non-essential lighting. Conestoga Mall has also been a hub of recycling activity for years, providing tenants and retailers an opportunity to recycle paper, cardboard, tin, glass, organic cooking oil, and electronics. Through our efforts, we have been able to save several hundreds of trees, reduce waste and help those less fortunate through the Hoarding for Humanity program.
For over 8 years our organic recycling stations in the Food Court have allowed customers to simply bring their trays to one of the eight waste stations, allowing the separation of organics, plastics, paper, bottles/cans, and waste items. This has led to more organic material being diverted from the landfill and properly composted.
Responsible procurement
Our procurement process has also been modified to focus on being green. For years we have recycled paper but now we use only Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, double side our printing, and strive to use green suppliers such as Purolator. Many of our contractors are also green. Our janitorial partner, for example, uses eco-friendly cleaning solutions and equipment and our exterior landscaper also uses eco-friendly landscaping materials and plants that are drought tolerant.
Conestoga Mall’s commitment to acting on climate change also includes encouraging our staff to reduce their environmental footprints and supporting environmental organizations.
BOMA BEST
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International was founded in 1907. A professional organization for commercial real estate that developed the Building Environmental Standards (BEST) certification program. Conestoga Mall is a Gold certified building under the BOMA BEST program.
BEEHIVES
Since 2013 Backed By Bee’s has been installing beehives across North American cities. Their goal is to educate companies, organizations, schools, and families about the pollination efforts of honeybees and beekeepers, as well as shed light on important issues related to industrial agriculture such as pesticide use, monocultures, and the loss of biodiversity. On May 21, 2019, Backed By Bee’s beehives were installed on the rooftop of Conestoga Mall! Since then we now have two hives that are home to 80,000 bees.
LIGHT RAIL & BUS TRANSIT
Conestoga Mall and Grand River Transit offer ten connecting routes at the bus station outside our main entrance. This allows travelers to connect to the LRT station, steps away from the bus station and shopping centre.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION
Currently, Conestoga Mall offers one electric vehicle (EV) charging station. Plans to install several more are in the works.
RECYCLING AT CONESTOGA MALL
The problem of plastics in the ocean is a global issue. With the largest shoreline in the world, Canada plays a particularly important role in protecting the world’s oceans and it is increasingly important that we do our part to stop plastic from entering the ocean.
According to Greenpeace, Canada generates 3.25 million tons of plastic waste annually. Plastic entering the ocean poses a significant threat to fish, sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. An increase in consumerism and an increase in the number of plastic goods produced is resulting in more plastic debris entering the ocean. The majority of this ocean debris comes from single-use plastics and Styrofoam. Some of the most common items found in the ocean are plastic grocery bags, Styrofoam, plastic lids, plastic straws, glass beverage bottles, cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bottle caps, and food wrappers. Do your part to keep our oceans clean by ensuring that all your waste is properly disposed of!
Many of our retailers also offer recycling services for products. From sneakers to cell phones to cosmetics, the retail industry is concerned about the environment and is working to help protect it. Here is a sample list.
Trade in any eligible device for an Apple Store gift card. If the device is not eligible for credit, Apple will recycle it for free. Bring any electronic device and we will recycle it responsibly and at no cost.
You can return your old phone to Bell for recycling through the Bell blue box program. This program provides Canadians with an environmentally responsible way of disposing of their used mobile phones. Bell will donate net proceeds from the program to the Canadian Mental Health Association as part of the national Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative. The Bell blue box program is part of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association’s Recycle My Cell program, which aims to minimize the amount of e-waste entering Canada’s landfills. Visit their Website.
As of August 5th, 2019, Garage will begin charging 10 cents for their plastic bag. 5 cents will go towards One Tree Planted.
H&M around the world has a Garment Collecting initiative all year long. Bring your unwanted garments and/or home textiles (of any brand, and in any condition) to any H&M location. These garments will then be re-purposed for re-use, recycled, or donated to be re-worn. Plus, customers will receive a $5 voucher which can be used on their next purchase of $30 or more! More details here.
All Nespresso capsules are 100% recyclable. Please visit their store to get a bag to bring your used capsules back to the boutique. Nespresso is B Corp certified company. B Corps are certified companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Nespresso has 100% Aluminum Capsules.
Saje Conestoga Mall will be helping to eliminate unnecessary plastic waste by continuing to eliminate plastic bags from our business. We currently offer only paper bags made from recycled water bottles in store, instead of recycled plastic reusable bags. Making sure they’re 100% recyclable and can’t clog up landfills in the future. In the store, we offer a lifetime warranty on all our diffusers, which includes repairs and placements where possible. If we can’t fix your existing diffuser, we will send it back to our warehouse to be recycled and repurposed. As an organization, we are always looking for ethical and environmentally friendly products and packaging to reduce waste and help our community members find eco-friendly substitutions for their homes.
Return any unused or outdated medicines to Shoppers Drug Mart for proper disposal. Medications cannot be recycled; however, it is very important that they be disposed of properly. When prescription or over-the-counter drugs are thrown into the garbage, or flushed down the sink or toilet, their chemical components may find their way into the water or soil. The presence of these substances in the environment is emerging as an important national and international issue, according to Health Canada.
Bring your own mug and receive 10 cents off your beverage.
Love gardening? Starbucks can help you with adding coffee grinds to your gardens. Starbucks will offer coffee grinds for free to avid gardeners upon request. Ask in the store for details.
A tree will be planted for every used mobile phone returned to Telus (they don’t care whether it is a Telus phone or not).
Trade in any eligible device and load the value onto a prepaid Visa card. For any device Mobile Klinik cannot purchase, Mobile-klinik offers $10 in-store credit for recycling.
Sustainability Project: Facts and Figures
Recycling 2022 Waste diversion rate at 76.59%, an increase of 3.3% over 2021; 2022 Capture rate of 84.55%.
In 2023, our commitment to sustainability continued to make a positive impact. While our waste diversion rate saw a slight decrease to 72.32% compared to 2022, our capture rate remained strong at 79.94%.
Despite these changes, it's important to note that mall traffic surged by over 800,000 visitors in 2023 compared to the previous year. As a result, there was a slight increase in waste generated, totaling 109 metric tons*.
109 metric tons is equivalent to approximately 240,303 pounds.
Energy Conservation 2022 Cove Lighting LED upgrade – Replace approximately 1,500 T8 fluorescent lamps with LED, saving a calculated 225,000 kWh per year. Based on Ontario Energy Board figures, this represents enough power to operate 25 homes per year.
Waste Elimination Since their installation, three water bottle refilling stations have saved approximately 134,000 plastic water bottles from entering the waste stream. As of March 2023.
