ENVIRONMENTAL
INTRODUCTION
SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY
CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENT REPORTING
APPENDICES
WASTE INITIATIVES
Our proactive practical waste diversion strategies meet or exceed local regulations. We identify opportunities to track and report waste at each property to ensure that all waste is collected and diverted in accordance with our guidelines. Waste diversion strategies include: • Offer furniture reuse and custom donation programs for each property’s tenants’ furniture, supplies, and products • Provide organic composting program at 100% of NYC properties • Continue to pilot waste management initiatives: • Utilize scales to track waste diversion in real time • Provide custom recommendations to tenants on effective waste diversion strategies • Support initiatives to compel tenants to convert to centralized waste management systems • Offer complimentary electronic waste collection quarterly for all tenants • Align with LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance waste management prerequisites and credits with Construction Waste Management policy and require all projects to target a minimum of 50% waste diversion and track with monthly logs
COMPOSTING
QUARTERLY WASTE AUDITS
Since 2018, ESRT has offered tenants opportunities to compost with outside vendors. In an effort to increase tenant participation, ESRT decided in 2023 to implement a building-wide composting program at all of our properties with complimentary compostable liners, signage, and education. Tenants’ organic waste is picked up five times a week from their spaces. In 2024, 100% of our NYC portfolio participated in an organic compost program.
We partner with our waste consultant to complete waste audits at 100% of our commercial portfolio. The audits verify and disclose the waste diversion performance at our buildings and identify opportunities to increase diversion rates. Audits are offered to our tenants as well.
TENANT WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Each year, we partner with tenants to deploy waste management and composting programs to reduce the amount of landfill and food waste in their space. Tenant waste audits and assessments are conducted quarterly. The audit findings are used to recommend program adjustments, inform educational materials, and drive implementation. Tenants who participated this past year included iCapital, Shutterstock, HNTB, Capco, Ridgeway Partners, GL Group, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and Tinuiti.
OVER 2 MILLION SQUARE FEET of tenant space actively composts
TENANT ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION
ANNUAL TRAINING
We provide education on waste management and recycling practices to ensure that our tenants are equipped with the knowledge to reduce and divert waste properly. In 2024, we released ESRT’s Tenant Waste Management Guide, which offers signage, labels, and comprehensive instructions for tenants to improve their waste management proficiency. All tenants receive training and tips at their building’s annual town hall.
Our building staff, cleaning professionals, porters, and haulers receive annual training on waste management best practices to ensure that trash, recyclables, and compost are handled correctly from start to finish. Continuous improvement training covers collection procedure, compliant bin liners, transportation, contamination, and specialty waste procedures.
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2024 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
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