Community


SUSTAINABILITY

Since 2008, Hornsby RSL Club has embarked on several environmental initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of operating a large Club and to contribute to the sustainability and protection of the environment around us for future generations.

Whilst many of these initiatives may not be as noticeable by the general public and Club members, they have contributed greatly to well-being of the planet we live in and to the social standing within the community of Hornsby and its surrounds.

The Club's policy for sustainability:

Hornsby RSL Club’s commitment to sustainability incorporates an awareness of the social, economic and environmental risks and responsibilities associated with operating a large Club. Hornsby RSL Club is aware of the role we play and the responsibilities we all have in protecting the environment for future generations.

This awareness drives the Club in delivering sustainable outcomes for Club members and both the local and broader community.

The Club’s commitment to Sustainability will ensure –

  1. (a) increased efficiencies in waste management and recycling
    (b) we strive for a more efficient use of energy and water resources
    (c) sustainable principles are applied to all relevant decisions
    (d) we meet the challenge of rising prices expected for resources and  waste management
    (e) we openly communicate our policies and practices to interested parties

This policy also aims to establish a common understanding of the principles of sustainability within the Club via the engagement of Club Members, Board of Directors, Management, Staff and the local community.

Hornsby RSL Club is committed to preserving natural resources and protecting our environment for future generations.


Initiatives include:

BottleCycler: Hornsby RSL Club goes through over 2,000 glass bottles per week. Prior to the Club’s introduction of the sustainability policy and commitment in 2008, the Club had already introduced a glass recycling measure using BottleCycler. This equipment allows the Club to crush glass bottles and reduce our glass waste volume by 80%. This means five times the amount of bottles can be stored in the same space. Almost all glass that is processed through our BottleCycler machines is then recycled back into a new glass container, and never goes to landfill. Reduced glass volume results in fewer trucks, smaller trucks, less petrol, less CO2 pollution, and less noise pollution.

Solar Energy Generation: In 2014 the Club invested in 250 solar panels located on the roof space of Hornsby RSL Club delivering 100kWH of green energy to the Club. 100% of this energy is used by the Club. Since 2014 the Club has generated over 850Mwh of energy.  We have saved significantly over 200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions that is the equivalent of planting over 700 trees.

Roof Solar Protection - SkyCool: SkyCool™ is a solar heat management coating invented and manufactured in Australia. It provides remarkable cooling to the entire building resulting in greatly increased interior comfort and very substantial energy saving on air conditioning. Scientifically, SkyCool achieves its remarkable cooling effect by reflecting up to 90% of the sun’s heat from the roof and radiating 96% of the remaining heat reaching the roof from within the building – day and night. The very high level of radiation has been carefully “tuned” to avoid heating the nearby atmosphere by directing its heat into space. The result is a cool blanket of air generated by the roof which envelopes the building. This, in turn, reduces the energy demands on the air conditioning plant. The ongoing environmental savings of this product contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 11 tonnes per month.

EP&T Energy Monitoring and Analytics: In 2014, the Club integrated an energy monitoring system with the installation of both electrical and gas meters throughout the Club to analyse the energy usage 24 hours a day. The system highlights improved control strategies, increased use, extended use, or energy anomalies against a baseline that the Club can then take corrective action to reduce the cost of energy in both monetary and energy use terms. Overall the Club has realised more than a 10% reduction in energy use with a cumulative saving of over 1,730 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The Club has recently expanded the technology to incorporate water monitoring in a bid to improve water use efficiency.

The PulpMaster – Food Recycling: In 2017 the Club introduced a food recycling system that digests food waste and converts it to a liquid that is then transported away to be made into garden fertilisers.  By introducing this system, the Club’s kitchens and dining areas and becoming more regulated in the items recycled in the Club. Each year, the Club’s food waste is converted into 37,675L of garden fertiliser which is the equivalent of saving 562 trolleys of food sent to landfill each year. This equates to covering 4,157 hectares of land in compost each year, and saved 51,755 dishwasher cycles each year. In one month alone this saves around 250 bin liners. Our recycling efforts conversely increased from 20% recycled products to 80% products recycled.

From using an energy monitoring system, the Club has had a 10% reduction in energy use with a cumulative saving of over 1,730 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. This is equivalent of over 5,900 trees being planted.

Over 2,000 bottles crushed a week and then recycled back into new glass containers, never going to landfill. The reduced glass volumes results in fewer and smaller trucks, less petrol, less CO2 pollution, and less noise pollution.

Over 37,000L of garden fertiliser created from recycled food waste, resulting in a saving of 562 trolleys of food sent to landfill each year. This is enough fertiliser to cover over 4,000 hectares of land every year. 


Plastic Straws: In August 2018 Hornsby RSL Club decided to phase out single use plastic straws with a campaign called The Final Straw. This explained that by the year 2050, there will would be more plastic in the ocean than fish. This decision was made and implemented 4 years before single use plastic straws were banned in NSW.

LED Lights Upgrade: Where possible, the Club has replaced existing lighting with energy efficient and cost saving LED Lighting. These lights consume a significantly lower amount of than conventional filament or halogen lighting fixtures. In May 2019, the Club upgraded the carpark and dock area lighting with LED’s and saves the Club over 150 tonnes of emissions each year in these areas alone.

Waterless Urinals: With any renovations, new amenities include waterless urinals to reduce the amount of water used for flushing.  The Club now only has two flushing urinals, but these are now fitted with motion sensors to only flush with bathroom traffic. In June 2019, these units were retrofitted with further water saving devices reducing the need to rely on chemicals. These waterless urinals have reduced water consumption of the Club by approximately 30%.

Water Harvesting: In 2019 the Club introduced water harvesting tanks. These 3 large tanks are located in the cellar dock, are fed from the roof and hold roughly 25,000L of content to be harvested elsewhere.  The contents of these tanks assist with the daily cleaning of back of house areas.

Paperless Technologies: Since 2019, Hornsby RSL Club has been exploring technological advancements to implement within the Business to reduce the need for paper. Initially, more than 50% of paper used for promotions within the Club was replaced with digital entries, with this having increased to 70% since then. Additionally, in more recent years, items such as digital QR codes for menus and digital membership cards have been introduced to further reduce our carbon footprint.

Single-use Plastics: Commencing in 2021, the Club began to phase out plastic stirrers, and single use plastic cups and plates in preparation for the November 2022 ban on single use plastics. Wooden stirrers are now used for coffee, and reusable polycarbonate drinkware for use in events when required. 37UM reusable bags have been used within the Club since 2021 for items that require a plastic bag.

Other Recycling:

  • Cardboard/Paper – all cardboard is processed through a compactor/baler in the Club’s dock. Paper is also recycled.
  • Cooking Oil – all cooking oil is processed and recycled using a holding tank in the Club’s dock
  • Aluminum Cans – all aluminum cans are recycled by the cellar
  • Toner & Ink Cartridges – all toner and ink used in admin and other areas around the Club are recycled