Sorting it out: How MPA turned waste management into a competitive edge

For a construction company managing large-scale workplace projects involving many subcontractors, tracking waste is easier said than done. MPA found a way and now diverts more than 90% of its project waste from landfill.

A CitySwitch member since 2024, MPA is a construction company that specialises in building workplaces in city centres.

Increasing customer demand for sustainability credibility prompted the company to look for new ways to improve waste diversion and support Green Star project targets.

Targeting a 5 Star Green Star Interiors rating means meeting a strict benchmark: less than 1kg of waste-to-landfill per square metre of fitout.

Working on a single high-pressure project in Circular Quay, it became clear MPA needed a smarter way to manage waste. That system is now business as usual 3 years later.

Increasing waste diversion rates from 70% to more than 90% is a key reason MPA received a CitySwitch Champion award.

MPA's head of health, safety, environment, quality and sustainability Martin Malone, together with colleagues Sarah Hogan, Shameem Bhatti, Michele Di Giorgio – all members of the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) working group – shared tactics, tips for others and how they’re getting ready for mandatory climate reporting.

The team also noted if you bring in your construction partner before your fitout designs are completed, they can really help you find circular solutions and cut waste to landfill.

What was the turning point for MPA’s new waste management strategy?

A fitout project for Deloitte in 2023 in Circular Quay was the catalyst. We were working on 27,000 square metres across 14 floors. We had many suppliers and subcontractors generating waste on site and were targeting a 5 Green Star Interiors rating. The project challenged us to take a more disciplined approach to waste planning, site management and reporting.

We partnered with a specialist waste management provider to develop an approach that met Green Star requirements and stronger waste results.

What are the key elements and benefits of the new system?

Instead of each subcontractor – carpenter, electrician, plumber and so on – arranging their own waste removal, we centralised waste management across each project.

• Increased recycling rates – waste diversion rates jumped from 70% to more than 90%. We’re controlling all waste management, which means we can control what gets recycled. Previously, some subcontractors would simply take all their waste to landfill.

• Less administration, more accurate reporting, enhanced credibility – instead of chasing reports from dozens of subcontractors with varying levels of care for sustainability, we receive more consistent reporting across each project. It’s easier to track waste volumes and diversion performance.

• Less mess in loading docks and impact on other building tenants – previously, waste handling in loading docks could create noise, dust and disruption for other building occupants. The new approach has significantly reduced these impacts.

• More efficiency and less chaos in goods lifts – working in hi-rise buildings requires careful coordination. The new approach has simplified logistics and reduced disruption for project teams.

How does the commercial case stack up?

For waste specifically, it's largely cost neutral – the spend that was previously distributed across individual subcontractors has simply been consolidated into the centralised model. But the value goes well beyond the bottom line.

Our data accuracy is significantly better, which strengthens our reporting and credibility. We now have a data-driven foundation to back every claim we make about waste diversion and that matters – in a market where sustainability credentials are increasingly part of the tender conversation, being able to demonstrate real, verified outcomes rather than just intentions is a genuine differentiator.

It's also built something harder to quantify but just as valuable: experience. Over time, this has helped position MPA as a leader in sustainable construction outcomes.

How did subcontractors and site teams respond to the new system?

Subcontractors have responded well. Most trades would rather spend their day building than organising waste collections, so the change has been welcomed.

The main adjustment for teams has been ensuring waste goes in the right bins and that bin changeovers happen in a timely manner so there's always capacity available.  

Ongoing education and accountability have been important. Site managers regularly spot-check bins and work with subcontractors to improve sorting practices when contamination occurs. Over time, those conversations have become less frequent as the new behaviours have become embedded on site.

What surprised you? 

• Speed of adoption: how quickly everyone adapted to the change. The benefits showed up faster than expected – fewer trucks in loading docks, more predictable lift bookings and less dust in shared dock areas.

• Less manual handling: full bins are now swapped for empty ones using purpose-built trucks rather than being tipped by people. This cuts manual handling risks.

• Impact of good data: accurate, real-time diversion figures gave people something tangible to rally around and made site teams and contractors more conscious of how they sorted waste, knowing the results were being tracked.

What would you do differently?

Start sooner. While it required commitment and consistency, the benefits have far outweighed the effort. It's now embedded in our day-to-day operations.

In your own office, what improvements have you made?

• Waste management: introducing waste streams – e-waste, organics and coffee cup recycling, removing under-desk bins, new signs and dedicated staff education to improve waste awareness and behaviours. Our landlord is a strong partner, supporting many of these efforts. This support made things much smoother and reinforced the message that this wasn't just an internal policy but part of a broader shared goal.

• GreenPower: we switched to buying 100% GreenPower for our offices in early 2025 as part of our ESG strategy.

• Fleet vehicles and commuter survey: our first carbon audit helped us improve how we capture fleet and employee commuting data.

How do you manage your carbon reporting, what emissions do you track and how are you preparing for mandatory reporting?

We track our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions internally. We work with specialist consultants to support our annual carbon reporting.

In terms of mandatory climate reporting, we’re part of group 3, so we don’t have to start reporting until July 2027. But we want to be ready early. We’re working with a couple of consultants to flesh out our scope 3 emissions and ensure we’re well prepared.

What's next?

• Circularity: we’re exploring adaptive reuse and circular outcomes for the materials used in our projects. This means working with clients and consultants to identify opportunities for more circular and sustainable project outcomes, such as retaining existing joinery, refurbishing furniture or identifying materials that can be reused rather than discarded. It's a shift in mindset from managing waste at the back end to making smarter decisions at the front end and it positions our clients at the forefront of sustainable fitout practice.

• Mapping scope 3 emissions: this is a significant undertaking. Understanding the full footprint of our projects – including the impact of the materials and products we specify – is the next frontier. Getting that data right will shape a lot of what we focus on in the years ahead.

• Energy efficiency: after getting a NABERS rating, we’re exploring ways to reduce energy use, where the biggest gains can be made.

Any tips for others?

• Start sooner than you think – the benefits outweigh the effort.

• Start with collecting the data – you can't improve what you can't measure.

• Find the right partners – don't be afraid to draw on specialist expertise and established frameworks such as CitySwitch.

It's also worth remembering the bigger picture. Construction is responsible for around 35% of the world's total emissions. That's a sobering number, but it also means our industry has an enormous opportunity to be part of the solution. We shouldn't shy away from that responsibility: we should lean into it. Small, consistent changes compound over time , and what feels like a big shift today becomes business as usual faster than you'd expect.